Twisted Time
by DancingKitKat
Summary: Time is set in stone. The past is in the past. Nobody is perfect. Maleficent knew all this. She knew her mistakes could never be reversed, and all she could try to do was learn from them. But when the pixies brought her a scroll containing a spell to turn back time, Maleficent couldn't resist trying it out just once...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own _Maleficent_.

...

The tranquility of the Moors was interrupted as three pixies flew up to the Rowan tree, holding an aged scroll and chirping loudly, "Maleficent, Maleficent!"

Irritated, Maleficent sighed as she opened her eyes to find the excited pixies hovering before her. On the branch overhead, Diaval gave a small, sleepy caw. "What?" she asked the pixies dryly. "Couldn't this wait until morning? I am trying to sleep."

"Maleficent, you will never believe - " Flittle began to exclaim, but Knotgrass cut her off.

"Flittle, I want to tell her!" she huffed.

"Oh, sorry," said Flittle, deflating slightly.

Knotgrass appeared somewhat smug as she announced, "Flittle, Thistlewit, and I were visiting Aurora at the castle this afternoon, but Aurora was busy with her royal duties. So we decided to explore the castle. Thistlewit dragged us into the library, where - "

"We discovered a spell to turn back time!" squeaked Thistlewit, unable to wait any longer for Maleficent to hear the news. Knotgrass let out a cry of dismay and rebuked Thistlewit.

Ignoring the fact that the pixies had been in the library, Maleficent sat up in her nest, suddenly interested. Diaval also looked intrigued, and glided down to perch on Maleficent's shoulder. "A spell to turn back time?" she repeated.

"Yes!" said Knotgrass, regaining her composure. "It was locked in King Stefan's desk."

Maleficent stiffened at the mention of the deceased king. "Why would you be snooping in there?" she asked, her tone cool.

"I thought I heard something in his desk drawer," said Flittle. "It was a mouse."

Maleficent arched an eyebrow. "Wonderful."

"We thought you might like to take a look at it," said Knotgrass as the threesome proudly presented the scroll. Maleficent tentatively took it.

"Thank you," she said politely. The pixies were delighted at having "assisted" Maleficent, and left her tree babbling happily.

Relieved that Knotgrass, Flittle, and Thistlewit had left, Maleficent sighed. Aurora's aunts meant well, but they were a little…. Knotgrass, Flittle, and Thistlewit-ey, to put it simply.

Diaval jumped off Maleficent's shoulder and took on his human form. After Maleficent had been reunited with her wings, she had granted Diaval the ability to change forms at will. She had also freed him from servitude, sadly expecting him to leave the Moors. But he stayed. It took him a while to get used to only being Maleficent's friend, not just her servant, but now they were closer than ever.

"A spell to turn back time?" he asked.

Maleficent set the scroll at the bottom of her nest, and settled back, prepared for sleep. "It can't be of any use. The pixies _did _find it in Stefan's desk."

"True," agreed Diaval, although he sounded a bit disappointed. "That would have been great if it did work, though." With that, he turned back into a raven and flew back to his sleeping spot. Maleficent closed her eyes.

A moment later, her eyes snapped open, and she reached for the scroll. Standing up, Maleficent stretched her wings. Diaval opened his own eyes and watched, slightly amused, as Maleficent took flight and hovered for a moment above the tree, searching for a light to read by. The glowing water faeries still skating on a nearby pond's surface would suffice. Maleficent flew toward the light and landed. Unrolling the scroll, the first thing she noticed was that it indeed bore the marks of having been a mouse's chew toy.

Maleficent read the words on the page, and then read them again. The incantation was unfamiliar - she had never seen anything like this before. But Maleficent was willing to try something new. Besides, the pixies had brought her this. _The pixies couldn't possibly be purveyors of any valuable spell_. But she could still try….

Upon returning to her tree, Maleficent placed the scroll at her feet and raised her hands. Diaval cocked his head curiously as she closed her eyes in concentration and began to murmur. "_I, Maleficent, voluntas ius iniuria, et conteram in solidum est. Pone ad solem occidentem et orientem, quid repetere fuit_." Golden light started to swirl around her, creating a breeze that rustled the leaves on the tree and blew Maleficent's loose hair around her face as she chanted under her breath. The light grew brighter until it was blinding, and Diaval couldn't make her out. But before he could do anything, it faded, and Maleficent opened her eyes. She glanced around. Nothing had changed.

Maleficent snorted. "Of course," she said, looking at Diaval. "I should have known better than to trust those ninnies." Maleficent picked up the scroll and tossed it carelessly to the other side of the tree. She would properly dispose of it in the morning, but now, she just wanted sleep.

Maleficent lay back down in the position she had been in before the pixies' disruption. She and Diaval were peacefully slumbering within moments, both oblivious to the shroud of golden magic encasing Maleficent once more.

...

Hey, fellow Malefifreaks! Thanks for reading. I hope you all enjoyed this! :)

Reviews would be nice. Constructive criticism is appreciated.

Kitty

P.S. I did not come up with the brilliant fandom name Malefifreaks. That privilege belongs to the amazing Firegirl210 (go check out her book, _Fae and Ravens_!). I simply think it's awesome, and wanted to promote it.


	2. Chapter 2

Diaval stirred, sensing someone's intent gaze set upon him. He opened one bleary eye, looking down into Maleficent's nest below him. A child in overly-large brown robes was looking right back at him with a gentle curiosity. He was reminded of Aurora, and closed his eye again to finish sleeping. Then he registered that the child was in Maleficent's nest, with his previous mistress nowhere to be seen, and possessed Maleficent's wings, horns, and eyes.

Alarm jolted through him, and Diaval squawked as he jumped off his perch. He changed forms almost before he could land in the nest. The child exclaimed, "Oh!" and scooted away from him as he stared, wide-eyed, at her.

Beside the fact that she was nearly half a meter shorter, the first thing Diaval noticed was her striking cheekbones had been replaced by round cheeks. Her wings and horns were a bit too large for her body. Her eyes were, unmistakably, Maleficent's glittering green ones. But they were filled with an innocence Diaval had never before seen displayed in Maleficent's eyes.

"Mis - Maleficent?" stammered Diaval. The little faerie girl nodded hesitantly, looking at him in awe.

"Yes?" she replied, her voice higher-pitched and less stern than before, and she opened her mouth to continue, but was interrupted as Diaval started chuckling. Maleficent had been turned into a child! A child! And she didn't even realize it!

"Excuse me, what's so funny?" Maleficent asked, her tone bemused and slightly annoyed as she crossed her arms across her chest.

"You - you're tiny!" Diaval couldn't help it. He burst into loud laughter, and was forced to double over.

"I'm _what_?"

"Tiny!"

Diaval barely noticed as Maleficent unfolded her arms and lifted them up, which were draped in sleeves much too large for her. She took a quick inspection of herself before saying, "I'm no smaller than I was yesterday. But would you please explain who you are and what you're doing in my nest?"

Maleficent's words slapped Diaval hard, and he abruptly stopped laughing. "Wh - wait, you don't recognize me?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't remember seeing you around the Moors before," said Maleficent. She cocked her head to the side slightly, as though that would help jog her memory. "I've never seen anyone who can turn into a raven, either."

Unable to find words, Diaval was silent for a minute. "I - I'm Diaval. I've lived in the Moors for nearly two decades," he started slowly. "You… brought me here after you saved my life. You turned me into a man, and in return for saving me, I became your servant."

Maleficent frowned, doubtful of Diaval's claims. "No, I think you have me mistaken with someone else."

"No, I haven't. You've…." Diaval trailed off, suddenly remembering the previous night. _That spell_. "You've turned back into a child, and can't remember your adulthood…."

"What?" Maleficent looked completely taken aback. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Knotgrass, Flittle, and Thistlewit brought you a spell last night to turn back time. You tried it, but it didn't appear to work. Although it seems to have taken effect now…." Diaval hadn't really thought about what he would expect to happen if the spell did work. Not this. Now that he thought about it, he would have thought that the spell would send full-grown Maleficent back in time. This situation was pretty much the exact opposite.

"That… can't be possible," Maleficent shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I really don't have any idea what you're talking about."

Diaval glanced around the tree for inspiration. Then he realized - the tree! "Look closely at the tree, and your nest." Though skeptical, Maleficent did as she was told. Her eyes grew round when she realized that her home had aged seemingly overnight. "See? Can you believe me now?"

Maleficent opened and closed her mouth, at a loss for words. Trying one last time, Diaval wheedled, "Why would I spend my time trying to convince you of something like this?"

This did the trick. Hiking her drooping dress back on her shoulders, Maleficent slowly said, "Alright. I believe you."

Diaval silently let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He was about to continue the conversation before Maleficent brought up an entirely different subject. "Are you a man who can turn into a raven, or a raven who can turn into a man?"

Diaval raised his eyebrows. "I'm a raven, of course! But when you saved me, you turned me into a man. You've turned me into other various animals, too. However, you gave me control of my shape-shifting recently."

Giving a nod, Maleficent started to hunt around in her nest for something. "What's it like being a raven?"

Diaval felt that perhaps it wasn't the time for this talk. But after a moment he said, "Well, being a normal raven is a fairly straightforward lifestyle. You find food, shelter, and mate. Once you've got a mate, you spend time looking after your family. I find it easier to have been a raven than human, although it isn't such a struggle to survive here in the Moors with you. But as a bird, your thoughts aren't complex, and you don't have to deal with human conflicts," explained Diaval, thinking almost wistfully back to the days when he had been a simple raven and hadn't had to deal with faeries suddenly shrinking. Then, to remind himself that his situation wasn't completely rotten, he added, "However, I suppose that after getting a taste of man's intelligence, it would be difficult to return to the wild as a raven."

"Have you got a mate?" asked Maleficent, stopping her search to sit up on her heels and listen to Diaval's answer.

Heat crept up Diaval's face. He couldn't tell this child that he almost thought of her as a mate. After all, they had basically raised Aurora together. They were a family. Aurora his hatchling, and Maleficent his mate. Of course, Diaval harbored no strong romantic feelings toward Maleficent. It was more of a tender fondness, similar to what he felt for Aurora, but different. He had seen many sides to Maleficent, and together they had been through a lot. One cannot raise a child with another and not feel especially bonded with them. But technically… Maleficent was not his mate. Was she? No. Maybe?

Maleficent was still looking at him expectantly, so Diaval just answered, "No."

Satisfied, Maleficent nodded. "Alright. Do you know where I can find a sharp rock or something to cut my dress with?"

"No….."

Maleficent sighed. "Drat. I guess I'll just use string for now."

So Diaval sat back and watched Maleficent adjust her dress, mentally debating what he should do. He could go to the pixies and ask them for help - despite their flaws, they would probably be more use in this situation than he was, considering their knowledge of magic. However, Diaval didn't want to leave the now young Maleficent by herself. There was no telling what trouble could follow. Finally, he settled for staying in the tree and inspecting the scroll.

The scroll contained a description of the spell and an incantation. The description was brief, and did not give details on what to expect after performing the spell, nor any instructions on how to reverse it. It did confirm that the golden light and wind from the night before was normal, giving Diaval reason to think that the spell's effects had not been a flaw on Maleficent's part.

"Good morning!" someone called, and Diaval glanced up as Knotgrass, Flittle, and Thistlewit flew into the tree.

"Did the spell work?" Thistlewit asked, clapping her hands together in excitement.

"See for yourself," Diaval said, gesturing to Maleficent. The three pixies gasped as they caught sight of her. Maleficent looked up from her skirt at the noise.

"Oh. Um, hello," Maleficent hesitantly greeted them. "What are you three doing here?"

"W-we just came to see if the spell worked," Knotgrass said, horrified.

"This wasn't supposed to be what happened!" complained Flittle, giving Diaval an accusing looking. "She was supposed to go back in time!"

"Time didn't travel, _she _did," Diaval said. "She became younger, and is unaware of her adult life."

Before any of the pixies could reply, Maleficent stood up and announced, "It was nice seeing you three, but I'm going to be leaving now."

"Wait!" cried Diaval, jumping up and nearly tumbling out of the tree. "I - I think you should wait a few minutes until we've gotten this sorted out."

"There's nothing to sort out," said Maleficent, looking an odd combination of amusement and agitation. Her wings gave a slight flutter, eager to take flight, and Maleficent shuffled her feet.

"I just don't know if you should go out yet….." Diaval was wary of letting Maleficent, though unknowingly, publicize her situation. He figured that once she was back to normal, she could be very vexed and embarrassed at the thought of been out and about in such a body. And who knew what complications the outing could present in the future.

"I'll be fine," Maleficent insisted, and bent her knees, ready to fly out of her tree. Knotgrass opened her mouth, prepared to complain, but it was a different voice that grabbed Maleficent's attention.

"Godmother?"

Diaval and the pixies froze, and Maleficent crouched to peer out between the leaves of her tree. "Who's that?" she asked.

"Godmother? Diaval?"

"'Diaval?' Is that one of your friends calling you? Who's 'Godmother?'" Maleficent caught a glimpse of the blond figure making her way toward the Rowan tree, stopping occasionally to exchange pleasantries with the creatures. Maleficent's eyes widened and she gasped, "A human!"

And before Diaval could explain anything, or do something other than think, "_Oh, Lord_," Maleficent jumped out of the tree and went to investigate.

...

Hey, Malefifreaks! Thanks so much for all the follows, faves, and reviews! :)

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please review. Constructive criticism is appreciated.

Thanks for reading!

Kitty


	3. Chapter 3

Maleficent landed before the human, startling her. "_Well, she doesn't look threatening,_" Maleficent mused silently as the human's blue eyes widened. The leaf faeries she had been talking to backed away, their tiny hands covering their open mouths. Normally, Maleficent would have asked if anything were wrong, but she had more pressing issues.

"_Godmother?_" the young woman exclaimed. "Oh my goodness, you're… looking young."

"'Godmother?'" repeated Maleficent, bewildered. Then she shook her head. "Never mind that - who are you?"

The young woman's eyes became wider, if that was possible. She stared at Maleficent for a moment, then called, "Diaval?"

Diaval approached the scene, followed by a Knotgrass, Flittle, and Thistlewit, who all had guilty looks on their faces. "Hello, Aurora," Diaval said in a grim sort of way.

"What happened?" the human, Aurora, asked, forgetting the presence of the leaf faeries as they tentatively approached Maleficent. The young faerie gave them a reassuring smile, and they all glanced at one another before hurrying away, talking quickly in their native tongue. Maleficent watched them leave, disappointed and confused by their reaction before realizing they were used to an adult Maleficent, not a child.

"Well, Maleficent tried a spell last night to turn back time, but nothing happened, until I woke up this morning and found her… how old are you?"

"Eleven," Maleficent answered.

"You're tall for an eleven-year-old," mused Thistlewit, eyeing Maleficent. Maleficent frowned, unsure how to respond. So she didn't.

"She's eleven!" cried Diaval, pointing at Maleficent. "Eleven! She doesn't even know who we are!"

"You don't remember me?" asked Aurora softly. Maleficent shook her head. "Oh. Well, I'm Aurora, although you like to call me 'Beastie.'"

"Beastie?" repeated Maleficent, a grin spreading across her features. From what she could tell, Aurora was the last creature on earth to be considered a "beastie." Behind Maleficent, Knotgrass gave a small indignant snort, apparently thinking the same thing.

"Yes," said Aurora, also smiling. "You've called me that since I was a child. I was brought up by Knotgrass, Flittle, and Thistlewit, in a cottage a little - "

"You were raised by the pixies?" Maleficent blurted out incredulously, arching her eyebrows.

"Excuse me!" complained Knotgrass, her face coloring. "Don't sound so surprised!"

Deciding it wasn't worth it to point out every reason she had to be surprised, Maleficent apologized, then asked Aurora, "Why were you raised by them?"

The pixies and Diaval stiffened, and Aurora threw Diaval a suddenly worried look. "Um, my parents… are dead."

"I'm sorry. Mine are, too," said Maleficent. A second later, it hit her - Stefan was also an orphan! Was it a coincidence that the two humans to visit the Moors were both orphans? "Do you have any siblings?" she asked, her heart giving a jump of excitement.

Aurora shook her head. "No."

Maleficent's enthusiasm faded. She had been sure she had been onto something….. Well, of course Aurora and Stefan weren't related. They looked nothing alike, and besides, Stefan lived in a barn, not a cottage. "Oh. Is this your first time in the Moors?"

This question led to several others, such as where Knotgrass, Flittle, and Thistlewit had found the time the past few years to bring up a child. Maleficent was about to ask this when she remembered - oh, yes, she was actually a full-grown faerie who had suddenly become a child. Silly her, she kept forgetting.

Again, Aurora shook her head, and was about to answer when Knotgrass did the job for her. "Is this her first time in the Moors? For goodness' sake, she's the queen!"

"Queen?" asked Maleficent, her heart skipping a beat. She was talking to a queen! But… "Since when has the Moors had a queen?"

Beside her, Diaval gave a slight snort. The pixies also sent one another mildly-amused looks.

"I was crowned just recently," said Aurora.

"Wow," replied Maleficent. She had the feeling that Aurora was a very good queen. "What's it like?"

Aurora beamed. "It's really amazing. Everyone here is so nice, and I'm so lucky to know them. I couldn't dream of a more perfect place."

"Aurora also is queen of the human kingdom," added Diaval, and Maleficent looked back at him - she had almost forgotten he was there. In fact, her attention had been so focused on Aurora that she failed to notice the creatures clustering around, whispering in wonder and fear. "Her rule has brought peace between the Moors and the humans."

"Really? That's - that's great!" gasped Maleficent, hardly daring to believe what she was hearing. Peace between the Moors and the humans? Though she had never seen a war, Maleficent's parents had died during the last one when she was a baby, and all Maleficent's life she had heard older creatures speaking of the humans with unease.

"Isn't it?" said Thistlewit, smiling at Maleficent as she gave a little twirl. "I never really liked wars, anyway. And the thorn wall was so - eek!" Knotgrass and Flittle had both nudged her hard in the ribs. "Hey!" Thistlewit pushed them back, and quickly the pixies were engaged in an all-out battle. So much for Thistlewit's dislike of wars.

At that moment, a young wallerbog approached shyly, a flower in its hand. Its presence surprised Maleficent, for the wallerbogs rarely came up to the cliff where the Rowan tree was - they weren't fond of heights, nor lack of mud to throw. Its head down, the wallerbog handed the flower to Aurora. "Thank you very much," Aurora said kindly. "I love it."

Glowing with joy, the wallerbog's gaze met with the queen's own happy one. Maleficent smiled - she could already see Aurora was beloved. The young faerie looked around, really taking in the Moors for the first time since she had awoken to find Diaval perched above her. The land itself didn't appear to have changed much. The ground was still bedecked with beautiful flora, with blossoming vines creeping up the trunks of the trees, which remained as tall and grand as ever, and the clear waters still sparkled in the morning light. But Maleficent finally noticed the creatures seemed wary of her. For a moment, this confused and hurt her. She was so close to them, why had their manners changed all of a sudden? But then it dawned on her that everyone must be completely baffled by her unexplained situation.

Maleficent lowered her head, feeling self-conscious. Everything had changed, and she had no idea what had happened. She didn't even know what age she really was! But her spirits were lifted when the same wallerbog came up to her and offered her a sprig of heather. Maleficent gratefully accepted the flower, beaming at the wallerbog. "Thank you, it's beautiful," she said, and the wallerbog blushed. Maleficent felt a flutter of hope in her heart - maybe things weren't so different after all.

...

Hey, Malefifreaks! Thanks for reading! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. :)

Please review! Constructive criticism is welcomed.

Kitty


	4. Chapter 4

That afternoon, Diaval sat against a tree, his attention flitting between the scroll in his hands and the two girls standing by the marsh (It felt odd classifying Maleficent as a girl). Diaval did his best to not eavesdrop, but he wanted to know if Aurora was informing Maleficent of their previous relationship as mother and daughter. She was not, which irritated Diaval. He wanted Maleficent to be armed with the information of her adult life. Perhaps she would then remember it. But in the meantime, he would study the scroll and hope to find a solution. He had lost time to do so that morning, for after Maleficent was reintroduced to Aurora, they went off to inspect the Moors. Diaval followed, wary of allowing Maleficent to leave his sight. As Maleficent and Aurora were stationed at the wallerbog's marsh, Diaval had a few moments to concentrate on the scroll.

"Oh, don't you - " _Splat_. Diaval looked up to see Maleficent's face dripping with mud. Aurora's hands were over her mouth, hiding a smile as Maleficent reached up and wiped the dirt out of her eyes. Diaval couldn't help but pause to watch - he remembered the last time a wallerbog had hit Maleficent with a mudball. For laughing at his mistress, Diaval himself had received a facefull of the stuff, but it had been worth it to see Maleficent's small look of triumph and enjoyment.

The wallerbogs all yelped as they were suddenly bombarded with mud. Maleficent hooted with laughter, exclaiming, "Take that!" Aurora was also giggling in amusement, and Diaval allowed himself a smile. Quickly, the wallerbogs collected themselves, and Maleficent and Aurora both shrieked as the creatures began to pelt them with mud. They both scooped up their own handfuls of mud and fired back, Maleficent's wings rustling in excitement.

Diaval was interested in seeing what the outcome would be, for while the wallerbogs were superior in number, Maleficent and Aurora were both so full of spirit, and Maleficent had her magic. The two teams were fairly evenly matched, and the event promised to be highly entertaining. However, Diaval knew his time would be better spent trying to find a way to reverse the spell, so he looked back down at the scroll.

"_To turn back time, one must focus on the time they wish to return to as they speak the given incantation. Beware of allowing distractions, this can result in disastrous mistakes. It is recommended that the caster of the spell works in a secluded area. While performing the spell, it is expected to be surrounded by halos of golden light and wind._

"_The incantation_: I, (insert name here), voluntas ius iniuria, et conteram in solidum est. Pone ad solem occidentem et orientem, quid repetere fuit_._"

Diaval scowled at the scroll, cursing whomever had penned these words. They didn't even hint at how to reverse the spell. He wondered for a second why Maleficent had been thinking of going back to when she was eleven. Had she planned to change what happened between Stefan and her?

Suddenly, Diaval's thoughts were interrupted by a mudball flying above him and exploding against the tree. Diaval exclaimed, "Hey!" as flecks of mud rained down on him. Some specs fell on the scroll, and Diaval quickly flicked them off.

"Diaval! Come join us!" Aurora called, laughing in delight. Diaval glanced at her and shook his head.

"Not right now."

Aurora sensed Diaval's thoughts. She picked up her mud-covered skirt and headed over to him. Maleficent didn't notice, as she was too busy creating a giant ball of mud that sent the wallerbogs scattering in all directions. She gave a small cackle, and Diaval was reminded of all the pranks she had played on the pixies over the years.

"What's wrong?" asked Aurora, sitting down next to Diaval and looking at the scroll. "What's this?"

"This is the scroll Maleficent found the spell on," said Diaval with a small sigh. "I'm trying to find a remedy, but the description doesn't give, or even hint at, one."

"Well, if it isn't there, it isn't there," said Aurora matter-of-factly. "No matter how many times you look at the scroll, it won't reveal anything new. You could do research in other works, but maybe you should leave the situation be for now."

"_What?_" Diaval burst out, angry that Aurora would even consider the possibility. Aurora's eyes widened - Diaval was never, in any way, harsh with her. Diaval instantly regretted losing his temper. He took a deep, calming breath and said, "I'm sorry. It's just… I want to get Maleficent back to normal, as soon as I can."

Aurora nodded. "I understand that. I love Godmother, and it's bizarre to see her like this. She's very open and unguarded, and less stern. It's even a little uncomfortable, because I almost don't know how to act with her because all of a sudden, she's different. But it's because I love her so much that I can accept her in any form, and still love her. And I want the best for her. Godmother is happy right now. Unburdened, you might say. She's content carrying on with the only way of life she thinks she knows."

Diaval realized that he hadn't really been thinking about what Maleficent was making of the situation. Now that he was thinking about it, he noticed that Aurora was right - Maleficent seemed perfectly satisfied with brushing away the information he had told her, and continuing life as she saw fit. There she was, enjoying a mud fight with the wallerbogs, unconcerned with what things should be. Because for her, things should be a lot different than they should for Diaval.

Was Diaval being selfish, wanting to interrupt Maleficent's current state of happiness? Just because things felt awkward and off to him didn't mean Maleficent felt the same way. And since this condition involved her, shouldn't it be Maleficent's interests that should be held in highest esteem?

"You're right," Diaval sighed, rolling up the scroll and placing it on the ground next to him. "I guess there really isn't anything I can do right now except support Maleficent's desires."

"Everything will work out, you'll see," said Aurora, smiling at Diaval. She jumped up. "Now, I believe there is a mud fight I have to win. Care to join me?"

Feeling as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, Diaval accepted Aurora's offer. He followed her to the battlefield, where Maleficent was coping magnificently, but still welcomed his and Aurora's help. Diaval reached down and scooped up some mud. He threw it, and smirked as it found a target. The wallerbog squealed, and instantly begin firing back. Diaval's grin faded as he found his beautiful self being covered in mud. After several minutes of being pelted relentlessly with mud balls, he was finally visited with the genius idea of creating a mudball, turning into a raven, and then dropping the mud on one of the wallerbogs. He quickly took his plan into action, but it didn't turn out exactly as he had hoped. After dropping his mudball and giving a "caw" of amusement, he was met by a mudball that sent him spiraling into the bog.

"_Awk!_" Diaval crowed as he thrashed about in the mud. Maleficent laughed and swooped down. She pulled him out of the mud and set him on dry ground. Diaval waddled away, holding his muddy wings away from his body awkwardly. Oh, he was going to be cleaning himself for days. Stupid mud.

...

The castle was foreboding and dismal. Its inhabitants had abandoned it long ago when it had begun to fall into disrepair. But Lydia found it easy to return it to its original state - her magic could work wonders compared to clumsy human hands.

Katherine didn't like the castle. Lydia had never asked, but she could tell her sister thought it to be a scary sort of place. There were few windows, lots of spiders, and the corridors echoed. The dark stone did little to prevent draftiness, and it was a rare occasion that flames crackled merrily in the fireplace. Lydia didn't like merriment, and besides, the noise could be distracting. A little cold never killed anyone, but Katherine shivered endlessly during the winter. Whether that was brought on by the temperature or fear, Lydia didn't know, but it annoyed her. Really, anything Katherine did was a source of irritation for Lydia.

Lydia thought Katherine to be fairly useless. In fact, many years prior, Katherine had messed up one of her potions so badly that she accidentally turned herself into a child, and was never able to reverse the effects. Lydia had been shocked when the sniveling fool had practically crawled through the door of her throne room, looking like she had when she was eight or nine. Katherine was generally very talented at potions, which was the only magical trait she seemed to possess. Lydia had punished Katherine for her stupidity, and never again touched any of her potions, save for the Invisibility Potion on very rare occasions. One such occasion was venturing into the Moors.

The day was bright and sunny - not Lydia's preferred weather. She was more satisfied with overcast, but nevertheless, she summoned Katherine and they climbed down the mountain.

The Moors was a long walk away. It took the pair half a day to get there, but it was worth it. Once they reached it, they both took a drink of Invisibility Potion. A tingle ran down Lydia's spine as the magic went into effect, concealing the sisters even from each other, and they started exploring the Moors.

All seemed well in the Moors. The creatures frolicked happily, the streams burbled, and the flowers' sweet perfume drifted over the Moors. Lydia didn't need to see her sister to know that Katherine was relaxing slightly. She was always calmed at the Moors, an upside to the journeys.

It was no surprise that the wallerbogs were having a mudfight. Lydia smirked - such silly creatures they were. Her smug look faded when a ball of mud flew astray and burst on the tree next to her. Katherine gave a small shriek and noisily stumbled into a bush. "Katherine!" hissed Lydia, her icy blue eyes flashing in the direction of the commotion.

"I'm sorry!" whined Katherine, but the damage was done. Two curious wallerbogs were staring into the forest, grunting at one another. Lydia narrowed her eyes, raised her right hand, and murmured, "_Freduerant noise in woods._" The wallerbogs' eyes clouded over with white for a moment, and then they blinked, their eyes returning to normal. Shaking their heads slightly, they returned to their mudfight. Katherine slowly picked herself up out of the bush, began to say something, and then cut herself off with a whimper. Lydia scowled to herself. "What is it, Katherine?"

"N-nothing, my lady."

"_Speak_."

"Was - that necessary, m-my lady?"

"I will take no risks, and neither should you," Lydia snapped, and she moved on.

Lydia and Katherine soon stood by the cliff where Maleficent's tree stood. Lydia couldn't help but feel a pang of wistfulness, remembering the happy. simple childhood days she had spent there. If only she could return to her youth - then, she would be able to set things right between her and Stefan, and maybe he would still be alive.

The young woman shook her head. She couldn't think like that. She had to focus on her real mission.

Lydia could hear activity in the Rowan Tree, but wasn't close enough to see what was going on. Slowly she made her way up to the tree, taking extra care to not make a sound.

"Honestly, you silly bird," a female voice said cheerily. Lydia frowned. Was that Aurora? She sounded younger….

There was an indignant cawing from the raven, Diaval. "You're covered in mud. How on earth do you expect to get all that out by just preening?"

A pause, and then Diaval, obviously having transformed into a man, announced, "I refuse to take a human bath."

"Diaval, it'll be much quicker," said Aurora, her voice sounding normal again.

"Yes, it'll be rather a bothersome activity, trying to clean yourself by preening," the younger female voice said.

Lydia now felt confused, which she didn't like. Why did Aurora's voice keep changing? Or were there two females in the Rowan Tree, Aurora and a young girl? Who was the young girl, and where was Maleficent? Lydia picked up her pace, only to step on a twig. She flinched as it snapped in two, the crack too loud for comfort. But the inhabitants of the Rowan Tree did not notice.

"I'm not taking a human bath."

"What do you have against baths?" asked the young voice. Lydia strained to identify it as she approached the tree. Had she been paying even the slightest bit of attention to her sister, who trailed behind her, perhaps she would have heard her gasp of recognition.

"Human baths are disgusting! You're wallowing in your own filth. However do you expect to become clean that way? Thank you very much, but I prefer to preen."

"You'll be preening for hours," said the little girl, her voice amused. Lydia walked around the trunk of the Rowan Tree to the side where Maleficent's nest was. She avoided the other side where visitors normally entered or exited the home, after the day when Katherine had nearly been flattened by Diaval. That had required a lot of quick magic to clear up the mess left behind, and Katherine had paid dearly for her stupidity.

"So? Better than sitting naked in a pool of water," complained Diaval. Lydia stood on her tip-toes and peered into the nest.

Three people stood in it. Aurora, a muddy Diaval, and a young faerie girl with large, familiar wings and horns. Lydia's mouth fell open as the girl giggled, "Alright, if that's how you feel about it, then preen away."

"Thank you," said Diaval sarcastically before turning back into a raven and flying up onto a branch. Behind Lydia, Katherine was trembling horribly, her breath ragged. Lydia would have been annoyed with this, but she was too confused, too fascinated with what she was seeing.

Maleficent had turned into a child.

...

Hey guys! Sorry for the wait on this chapter - I've been busy recently - but hopefully the length of the chapter can make up for the wait.

Hope you all enjoyed! Please review and tell me what you think.

Thanks for reading!

Kitty


	5. Chapter 5

Maleficent had been wrong.

Things were quite different. Or, at least that particular day was quite different than her normal routine. However, most of the changes seemed to be good. For one thing, there was Aurora and Diaval. Though Maleficent had only met them that morning, she felt a very strong connection to them. She was guided by some sixth sense that allowed her to embrace their friendship, and she already knew that she would trust the both of them with her life. While these instincts perplexed Maleficent somewhat, she was able to brush them aside and enjoy her time with the pair, especially since all her other friends seemed surprisingly absent.

The Moors had undergone change, too. The atmosphere was more relaxed and light-hearted without the possibility of a war looming, and Maleficent loved it. The only thing that brought her down was the creatures' reactions to her. They seemed wary of her, but Maleficent figured that considering they were used to her being older, this was natural. They must have been very taken aback at what they were seeing. But the shock would certainly wear off before long. The wallerbogs had already accepted her condition, including her in one of their famous mudfights. Aurora had joined, and Maleficent was mildly surprised at what she was capable of. She was, after all, a queen, and as far as Maleficent knew, queens didn't engage in mudfights. But Aurora did, and she was quite good at the game.

After Maleficent, Aurora, and eventually Diaval, won the mudfight, they returned to the Rowan Tree. Diaval had been unfortunate enough to fall into the bog, and was completely covered beak-to-tail in mud. The raven flapped his wings and cawed in distress. Maleficent couldn't help but find amusement in Diaval's situation as she offered to wash him off.

Diaval crowed, and hopped away from Maleficent, shaking his head. "He doesn't appreciate human baths," Aurora explained, a small smile on her face.

Maleficent shook her head. "Why not? Honestly, you silly bird…"

Diaval seemed insulted by this. Raising an eyebrow, Maleficent said, "You're covered in mud. How on earth do you expect to get all that out just by preening?"

A moment later, Diaval stood as a man before Maleficent. She gave a small smirk at how dirty he was. Diaval was obviously uncomfortable, but managed to hang onto his dignity as he declared that he would not take a human bath. Maleficent snickered - he sounded like a child.

"Diaval, it'll be much quicker," wheedled Aurora.

"I'm not taking a human bath," Diaval persisted.

Maleficent playfully rolled her eyes at Diaval's behaviour, and continued to banter. A minute later, she gave up once Diaval described a bath as "sitting naked in a pool of water."

"Alright, if that's how you feel about it, then preen away," Maleficent said with a chuckle.

"_Thank you_," said Diaval sarcastically before turning back into a bird and flying up onto another branch to clean himself in his preferred style.

"What a vain little creature," Maleficent commented, sitting down in her nest. Aurora smiled as she kneeled down next to Maleficent.

"He can be sometimes, can't he?" said Aurora fondly.

"Have I got any mud left in my hair?" Maleficent asked Aurora as she ran a hand through her hair. "It's horrible when you miss some and then it dries… So itchy."

"No, you look fine," said Aurora, giving a nod. Maleficent was about to thank her when she paused and glanced around the tree. Something was off….

Maleficent realized that she didn't have her normal tiny braid. She took a thin lock of hair, and began to braid it. "That mudfight was fun. You're a really great ally."

"Thank you," Aurora said, bobbing her head. She started toying a bit with her dress, still grimy from the battle.

"Diaval wasn't half bad, either, once he got involved," Maleficent added. "Does he join in mudfights often?"

Giving a small shrug, Aurora said, "Sometimes, but he doesn't fancy getting his feathers too mussed up."

Maleficent laughed. "I can tell."

From above them, Diaval gave a caw and flew off. "I think we offended him," said Maleficent, amused. She finished off her braid, and then fingered it. She had missed some steps up at the top before she had gotten into the groove of it. Maleficent frowned, and started over.

"Perhaps a little."

"Silly bird," Maleficent said affectionately. She felt the beginning of her braid, and sighed. She had messed up again, so Maleficent undid it and prepared to start over once more.

"Do you want me to do that?" Aurora offered. Maleficent froze for a moment - she had never had anyone but her friends do her hair before. But Aurora was a friend, right? Just a few years older… Or younger, actually.

"Thanks," Maleficent found herself saying. She got up and reseated herself by Aurora, who immediately began weaving a tiny braid down the side of Maleficent's head. "So, is it hard being a queen?"

"A little," Aurora admitted. "Especially in the human kingdom. I'm still getting accustomed to royal life. But the Moors are amazing. Everyone's so kind, and I'm sure that this is the most beautiful place in the world."

Maleficent smiled at that last sentence. "I think it is, too," she said. "What is life with the humans like?"

"It's fine," said Aurora. "There are some very nice humans. But like in any species, there have also been some people who aren't so nice. And I prefer living in the Moors than in the castle."

It struck Maleficent that Aurora lived in the castle that Stefan had announced he would someday reside in. It seemed a bit funny to her that while Stefan was so eager to live there, Aurora would much rather spend her days in the Moors. But from what it sounded like, Maleficent's parents - who had always thought that there were good humans - had been right.. Aurora was living proof of that. "Who are some of the nice humans?" asked Maleficent, looking at Aurora in the corners of her eyes. Aurora's slight blush and small smile did not go unnoticed by Maleficent. "Are you being courted by anyone?"

Aurora's smile widened. "Well, I've very close to one man, Prince Phillip."

Maleficent also smiled. "That's lovely."

"He's a wonderful person. He's very kind, thoughtful, and brave. He's also intelligent, although he does have his moments…."

"All males do," Maleficent quipped. Aurora laughed just as a muddy black raven with a scroll in his talons swooped into the branches of the tree.

"That's very hurtful," Diaval said as he turned into a man. Maleficent shrugged.

"You can't deny the truth."

"But it's not the truth."

"It is."

"No, because I'm a male, and I do not have any of these 'moments.'"

"Yes, you do."

"Name one," Diaval challenged.

"Your refusal to take a bath."

"That doesn't count."

"It does, doesn't it, Aurora?"

"It does," Aurora confirmed, grinning as she finished off Maleficent's braid.

"Aurora!" exclaimed Diaval, his mouth dropping open. "I'm wounded."

Aurora laughed. "Forgive me. Where did you go?"

"I forgot the scroll at the bogs, and went to fetch it," Diaval said before turning back into a bird and flying back to his branch to continue preening, bringing his scroll with him.

"Thanks for braiding my hair. Would you like me to do yours?" Maleficent asked. Aurora nodded.

"Yes, thank you."

Maleficent once again moved so that she was sitting behind Aurora. She pulled back the blonde hair and begun to braid it. "What's so important about that scroll of Diaval's? He's been with it all day, except after the mudfight. I suppose he was so worried about his pretty little feathers getting dirty that he forgot it for a moment."

"It's the scroll that has the spell you used to turn yourself into a child. Diaval has been examining it, hoping to find a way to reverse the spell."

Unable to think of anything else to say, Maleficent just said, "Oh."

Aurora was silent for a moment before asking, "Are you happy being as you are right now?"

Maleficent blinked in surprise, having not expected that question. "Well, yes. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Diaval was worried that the knowledge of having an entire life you had forgotten would overwhelm and upset you."

"I'm perfectly fine," Maleficent said slowly. To be honest, she hadn't put much thought into the situation. It was just so unreal. She just remembered going to sleep after a completely normal day, and then waking up to find an unfamiliar raven dozing above her. Then the raven woke up, turned into a man, and told her that she was really an adult faerie who had done a spell that turned her into a child, which lead to the most _ab_normal day of her life.

"I'm glad to hear that," said Aurora.

"How about you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you alright with everything that's going on?"

Aurora nodded, nearly tugging her braid out of Maleficent's hands. "Yes, I am. It's… curious seeing you so much younger all of a sudden. You're different from the Maleficent I know, but you're still the same person I love. No matter what form you are or what memories you hold, you're still my wonderful, caring Godmother, and I love you."

A smile appeared on Maleficent's face as she finished Aurora's braid. She tied the end with a bit of brightly colored ribbon lying in her nest, and then Aurora turned to face Maleficent. "I love you, too," Maleficent said as she held out her arms, and the two embraced.

Even though Maleficent had only known Aurora for a few hours, or so it seemed to her, the words came so naturally. And she meant them. She felt like Aurora was her family. Maleficent felt happy and safe in Aurora's presence, and she knew that she would trust Aurora with her deepest secrets. Perhaps she would even tell her about Stefan….

…

The sun slowly set in the sky, and Lydia was still trying to make sense of what on earth was going on. "_Maybe that's it_," Lydia thought as she paced in the forest near Maleficent's home, grinding her teeth. "_Maybe this is a supernatural act, maybe Maleficent somehow got in contact with an extraterrestrial being, and convinced them to make her younger…. That's insane. You're insane! You are going insane!_"

"Shut up!" Lydia hissed at herself, only supporting the theory that she was becoming crazy. Katherine whimpered. Trying to calm herself, Lydia stopped pacing and turned to her sister. "I don't get it. What happened to Maleficent?"

Katherine trembled, her shoulders hunched like she was trying her hardest to disappear. "I - I don't kn-know, m-my l-l-lady," she said, stammering worse than usual.

Lydia's heart skipped a beat, and she stared at her sister as something clicked. Katherine, too, had become younger, just like Maleficent. But from what Lydia had heard eavesdropping on Maleficent and Queen Aurora, Maleficent didn't remember her adult life. Katherine had remembered her entire life. She said it was a failed potion that caused the change, and Maleficent had used a spell. But both situations were far too similar to simply be a coincidence…

"Katherine," Lydia began slowly. Her eyes became dark and stormy as rage began to churn inside her. She took a step toward her sister, who shrank back. "_What aren't you telling me?_"

...

Hello, Malefifreaks! Again, sorry for the long wait. My beta and I have been busy, but I've already got the next chapter written, and it'll be posted once my beta finds the time to edit it.

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please review and tell me what you think. Constructive criticism is welcome!

Thanks for reading!

Kitty


	6. Chapter 6

Aurora woke up to chirping birds and the cool morning air brushing against her skin, sending shivers of pleasure down her back. She loved waking up in the Moors, snuggled in the twisted roots of the Rowan Tree. It was such a serene setting. Water trickled down in the river below the cliff, the dew on the flowers sparkling in the early light, and -

"_SQUAWK!_"

Startled, Aurora looked up to see Diaval tumbling through the air. He quickly managed to save himself and swooped into Maleficent's nest. Laughing, Maleficent flew off a branch and landed next to Diaval.

"Why?!" cried Diaval the moment he had turned into a human, causing Maleficent to snicker harder. "Why would you do that?!"

"Do what?" asked Aurora, standing up. She reached back and fingered the braid Maleficent had woven the previous day. It was still neat.

"She crawled up onto my branch, put her face right in front of mine, and poked me awake while cooing, 'Diaval… Diaval… Diiiiaaavaaaal,'" Diaval said, mimicking Maleficent. Aurora giggled, and Maleficent smirked in satisfaction. "Why would you do that?"

"Because," Maleficent said, "it's funny."

"I beg to differ."

Maleficent grinned again, and turned to face Aurora. "Well, good morning, Aurora. Sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you. Yourself?"

"I slept well, thanks."

"Oh, I slept well, too, up until a bothersome little faerie prodded me awake!" Diaval complained, glaring at Maleficent. Maleficent's smile grew as she spread her wings and swooped next to Aurora.

"I'm going to go for a flight around the Moors and see how everyone is doing," she said to Aurora. "Would you like to come?"

"Of course," Aurora agreed, and the two set off, the young queen strolling down the cliff and the faerie gliding above her. After a moment, they were joined by a raven, who took a moment to dive at Maleficent's horns, cawing loudly.

"Hey!" Diaval came at her again, and Maleficent dipped down to avoid him. "Knock it off, you silly bird!"

Diaval crowed in amusement, then flew back behind Aurora.

The Moors were just waking up. Faeries stood, testing their wings, and then began their day. Some flew off to find breakfast, and others zipped up into the air to watch the rest of the sunrise from a treetop. A few of the wallerbogs snorted and grunted sleepily as they sat up, rubbing their large eyes. Others just rolled over, their drool dripping into the bog. The hedgehog faeries were more willing to awaken, unrolling and stretching, calling good morning to family and friends.

Aurora and Maleficent greeted the creatures cheerfully. The responses they received weren't quite as warm - most of the creatures still seemed shocked at Maleficent's sudden change in appearance and character. The wallerbogs, though, were quite accepting of her, respecting her ability to throw a well-aimed mudball.

"Good morning, Mrs. Russula," Aurora said to one Mushroom faerie who was rounding up her children.

"Oh, good morning, your Majesty!" she exclaimed, giving a tiny curtsy. Then she turned to her children. "Children, say hello to the queen."

"Hello," they all chirped, hardly pausing in their early morning antics. Aurora smiled as one sister approached a stem by the base of a birch tree and squealed in delight.

"Mother! It grew! See, it has a bud!" cried the young creature, pointing at the plant.

"That's grand news, dear!" Mrs. Russula said. She turned back to Aurora and said, "Scarlett planted that flower herself. It wasn't doing so well until she tried to use a little bit of magic to help it along yesterday."

"That's wonderful," Aurora said with a smile. "How is everyone doing?"

"Oh, splendid, everyone's splendid. The children are so energetic these days, they're quite a handful, actually," Mrs. Russula laughed, sending a fond look at her children. Then she frowned. "Saffron, just what do you think you're doing? Put that slug down immediately!"

"Slug!" cried Scarlett, standing defensively before her flower, spreading her arms out. "Keep it away from my flower!"

Saffron grinned and held out the slug as she began to approach Scarlett. Scarlett shrieked. "Mother!"

"Excuse me, your majesty," Mrs. Russula said hastily. "Have a good day!"

"You, too!" Aurora said as Mrs. Russula went to settle the dispute. Then she looked up. Maleficent and Diaval were nowhere in sight. Aurora scanned the sky for them, and caught sight of two winged figures soaring through the clouds. One of them let out a happy whoop before heading back to Aurora, a beam on her face. Aurora smiled, too, as Maleficent flew in a wide circle around her.

"Better keep up, slowpoke," Maleficent teased before zipping away. "First one to the Faerie Mound wins!"

With a strong flap of her wings, Maleficent was off, with Diaval trailing her. Aurora laughed, and ran off after her, even though she had no hope of winning. A few minutes later, she jogged up to the Faerie Mound, out of breath but glowing with pleasure. "That wasn't a fair race," Aurora said breathily, unable to help but grin.

"That was the point," replied Maleficent, raising her eyebrows cockily before turning and facing the flowered throne. "Is this your throne?"

"Yes," said Aurora, "but I don't sit on it often."

"It's nice," said Maleficent, but there was a note of uncertainty in her voice as she eyed the throne suspiciously. Perhaps she sensed the darkness from which the throne had first evolved. Despite the flowers blossoming on the throne's edges, the dark, twisted spine could, if one looked at it in a certain light, be viewed as slightly sinister.

Maleficent glanced at Aurora. Then Aurora realized Maleficent hadn't been looking at her, she had been looking _behind _her. Aurora turned her head to see what was there, but nothing was out of the ordinary.

"I'm going to go by the borders, make sure everything is alright," Maleficent said, lifting up into the air. Diaval gave a soft caw as he made to join her, but Maleficent said, "Diaval, you don't have to come with."

Recognizing his dismissal, Diaval settled back down on the arm of the throne, bemusement and concern flashing through his dark eyes as Maleficent took off, saying, "I'll be back in a while."

Aurora and Diaval watched the young faerie fly away. Diaval transformed into a human and wondered, "What is she doing?"

"I don't know, Diaval. Maybe she's remembering something. She seemed a bit worried when she looked at the throne, and now she wants to be alone."

"She's going where the Thorn Wall used to be," Diaval said quietly. Aurora frowned as she thought for a moment.

"Maybe we _should _tell her about what happened with Stefan," she said hesitantly. Diaval gave her a confused look.

"You said yesterday that we shouldn't worry about it and just let her be happy."

"Well, yes, but maybe it's better if we just tell her now. She's intelligent, she'll realize before long that something bad happened in her life, something that we're hiding. I don't want her to feel like _we've _betrayed her by not confessing."

This horrible thought twisted Aurora's stomach into a knot. She didn't want Maleficent to ever feel like Aurora had betrayed her. Aurora couldn't imagine the pain Maleficent would feel. Would Maleficent ever forgive her?

"Should we tell her, or let her be happy?" asked Diaval. Aurora thought for a moment.

"Perhaps we can tell her…" started Aurora, misery pulling at her heart as she thought of Maleficent's reaction to learning her future, and then remembering what Maleficent had said the previous day about being perfectly fine. "...But not immediately. We'll let her be for the time being. Once she brings it up, we'll explain."

"But you just said - "

"I know, Diaval," Aurora burst out, her voice trembling slightly, "but I just can't bear telling her at all."

Diaval didn't look convinced. Aurora took a deep breath to steady herself and said, "Better late than never… right?"

Giving a sigh, Diaval relented. "Alright, Aurora. But in the meantime, I'll return to the scroll."

A moment later, Diaval the raven was soaring back to the Rowan Tree. Aurora slumped in her throne, burying her face in her hands.

She didn't want to hide anything from Maleficent, but at the same time, she wanted to protect her happiness. If Maleficent found out who she grew up to be… Aurora couldn't think of how upset she would be. What innocent, kind eleven year old wants to find out they grow up to take seize of their homeland and curse a baby? Of course, Maleficent had been provoked. Had Stefan never betrayed her, Maleficent wouldn't have cursed Aurora. But if Stefan hadn't betrayed Maleficent, there would be no Aurora to curse.

Aurora took a quick break from her first series of thoughts to wonder what life would have been like if Stefan hadn't betrayed Maleficent. Would they have gotten married and had a child? Would Aurora have been that child?

No. Aurora was only herself because of her father and her own mother. She was, in fact, the spitting image of the late queen.

But that wasn't the point. She was getting distracted, and Aurora went back to thinking what she should or should not tell Maleficent. Perhaps if Diaval and Aurora just waited… But Aurora couldn't rely on that hope. She had no idea what the future held for them.

Perhaps she didn't have to make a decision just yet. After all, it was a big choice she had to make, and required a lot of thinking.

"Are you alright?" Maleficent's voice was concerned, and Aurora looked up as she landed. Aurora nodded, standing up and rearranging her features into a pleasant façade.

"Yes, I was just thinking," Aurora said, surprised to find that she sounded sincere. While it was true that she _had _just been thinking, the subject wasn't as light and airy as she was trying to portray.

"Okay," said Maleficent, bobbing her head as she accepted Aurora's answer.

Changing the subject, Aurora asked, "How was your flight? See anything interesting?"

"No," said Maleficent, sounding a bit dejected. Aurora's lips quirked ever so slightly at the corners at Maleficent's response to not having found a bit of adventure lurking behind some trees.

"Better luck next time," Aurora said. "So, what would you like to do?"

Maleficent grinned. "Follow me," she said, lifting up into the air and hurrying off. Aurora followed.

They arrived at a pond near the Pool of Jewels. Maleficent's eyes glimmered mischievously as she hovered in front of Aurora. "So tell me - what are your thoughts on getting a little bit wet?"

"I can handle a little water," Aurora said, smiling and crossing her arms playfully.

"Excellent," Maleficent said, mirroring Aurora's grin. "Then grab onto my ankle."

"Grab onto your - " Aurora blinked. Despite Maleficent being a child once more, this seemed like an extremely odd thing for her normally stern godmother to request. Maleficent thought nothing amiss, and her smile only grew as she held out her leg for Aurora to take. Aurora hesitantly grabbed above her ankle - was Maleficent taking her flying? Aurora couldn't help but think it was high time - she had pleaded before for Maleficent to take her for just one quick flight, but Maleficent always said no.

"Hang on," said Maleficent, and Aurora had only a moment to tighten her grip before she was dangling above the ground. She gave a shriek that quickly turned into laughter as the pair bobbed above the water. Aurora kicked her feet as her toes skimmed the water. The water faeries hastened out of harm's way, chastising the girls in their native tongue.

Maleficent flapped her wings again when Aurora wasn't expecting it, and the Queen of the Moors suddenly found herself being dropped in a pond. "Oh!" she cried out in surprise as she splashed into the water. Maleficent laughed gleefully as Aurora stood up, feeling a bit cold in the mid-morning air. "Sorry," Aurora said meekly to the water spirits, blinking water out of her eyes. But the faeries merely seemed amused.

"Galloping gargoyles!"

Aurora looked up to see a small, spritely faerie zipping up to the pond, his eyes round in astonishment. It was Robin, a dear childhood friend of Maleficent. "Maleficent, what happened?" he cried, coming to a stop before Maleficent.

"Hello, Robin," Maleficent said, smiling at the faerie. "How are you?"

"How am - the real question here is what happened to you!" Robin exclaimed, gesturing at Maleficent.

"Oh, right. I'm supposed to be older, aren't I?"

"You think so?!"

"Maleficent tried a spell that was supposed to send her back in time a night ago," Aurora said. "She woke up yesterday morning like this, with no memory of being an adult."

"That's insane," said Robin, his eyes somber. "You don't remember anything?"

Maleficent shook her head. "No, sorry."

Robin looked worried until Maleficent added, "Well, I remember you, so what's there to be sad about?"

With a relieved laugh, Robin said, "Aye, true enough."

Aurora felt a slight pang. Maleficent didn't remember her - wasn't that something to be sad about? Standing dripping wet in the pond and with Maleficent looking at Robin so happily, Aurora felt slightly unimportant and left out. But that was preposterous. Maleficent hadn't meant it like that, she was just trying to bring Robin's spirits up. Maleficent loved Aurora, even if she just didn't know how much.

"Have you two met?" Maleficent asked, chasing away Aurora's uncharacteristically morose thoughts. Aurora and Robin both nodded.

"Yes," said Aurora, giving Robin a smile, "we have."

"Oh, good," said Maleficent, landing by the pond. Aurora started wading over to her. "Want to do that again, Aurora? Except maybe this time you can hold onto Robin."

"Hey, no poking fun at my size, lass," jested Robin, poking Maleficent in the chest. She giggled, and he grinned. Aurora couldn't help but smile, too, her previous unhappy ideas forgotten. Instead, she thought about how grateful Robin must be to have this Maleficent back. Though he and Maleficent had begun talking once more after Maleficent had taken off her crown, Aurora knew he must have missed the young, light-hearted Maleficent he had watched grow up.

Aurora was pulled from her thoughts as Maleficent said, "I would never poke fun at your size, Robin. Your miniscule size is what makes many a prank possible."

"I'm fairly certain that was another joke," said Robin, circling around Maleficent as though inspecting her for any hints of sarcasm.

"My sincerest apologies," Maleficent said, grinning.

"Oh, yes, you were most definitely joking!"

Aurora beamed at the happy look on Maleficent's face.

...

Hey Malefifreaks! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter.

Who caught "galloping gargoyles" from Harry Potter? Seemed to me the kind of thing Robin would say, and I couldn't resist putting that in there. Speaking of Robin - I do not own him. If you have read either one of the novelizations of Maleficent, you'll recognize Robin.

Please review! Constructive criticism is appreciated.

Thanks for reading!

Kitty


	7. Chapter 7

A shriek pierced Diaval's dreams, startling him awake. He stood on his perch for a moment, confused, before he heard another cry from below.

"_Maleficent_," he thought, and a moment later, Diaval the man kneeled next to the faerie.

Her face was pale and twisted in horror and grief as she writhed in her nest. Her wings were thrashing so much Diaval thought she might end up taking flight. Diaval reached for Maleficent's shoulders to hold her down only to be knocked aside by one of her powerful wings. He tried again, this time managing to pin her down. Unfortunately, this only seemed to terrify Maleficent more.

"Maleficent!" Diaval yelled. "Maleficent, wake up!"

Stunning green eyes flew open, and Maleficent inhaled sharply. "Wings!" she cried, and her hand shot to her back, whacking Diaval. She let out a strangled gasp when she found her beloved wings to still be attached. Some of the terror left her eyes, and she began to cry.

Diaval had never comforted someone who had had a nightmare, but somehow he knew exactly what to do. He scooped Maleficent up in his arms and let her sob into his chest. He stroked her hair as her wings curled around the both of them.

A small being buzzed into the nest, looking harassed. "Is everything alright?" Robin asked. "I heard scream - " The faerie caught sight of Maleficent. "Oh, Maleficent…."

Robin flew up to Diaval and Maleficent and put his tiny hand on her back, rubbing in gentle circles. "What happened?" Robin asked Diaval quietly.

"She had a nightmare," Diaval muttered, still stroking the faerie's hair, much like how she had always caressed his feathers.

After a few minutes, Maleficent's cries subsided. "Are you alright?" Diaval asked quietly. Maleficent sniffled and nodded meekly, leaning back.

"I'm sorry - "

"It's fine."

"Alright, there, lass?" Robin asked, moving to her side.

"Yes, I'm fine now," Maleficent said, her eyes dropping down. She shuddered.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Diaval asked hesitantly. It seemed like the right thing to say, until Robin shot him a look. But Maleficent seemed to want to.

Maleficent took a deep breath, wringing her hands. She didn't move out of Diaval's lap, and he found he rather enjoyed the physical contact. He had always been forbidden to touch his mistress, a choice he respected, but still, after years he felt almost lonely without actually touching another being. "I had a nightmare," she began, her voice quivering, "where I just woke up, but my wings were gone." She took another breath to steady herself. "All that was left… was two red, burnt stumps."

A shiver ran up Diaval's spine, and he and Robin exchanged glances. How had Maleficent remembered the day she had lost her wings?

"It was so _real_," Maleficent continued, her voice catching as she looked up, meeting Diaval's concerned gaze. "I even know where it took place, a pool outside of the Moors. I was so sure it was real, that I had lost my wings."

"Well, it was all just a dream," Robin assured her. Maleficent nodded silently.

"I'm sorry for waking you," she whispered. "I think I'll go back to sleep now."

The little faerie climbed out of Diaval's lap and lay back down. The moonlight sneaking through the leaves of the tree reflected off her worried green eyes.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Robin asked. Maleficent looked relieved.

"Could you?"

"Of course," Robin said, and he fluttered over to her, sitting on the edge of her nest. Diaval transformed into a raven and hopped over to Maleficent, settling between her shoulder and her wing. Maleficent reached up and began to pet him gently. A while later, her hand stilled, and her head tilted to face Diaval. He nestled up to the sleeping faerie, and slowly began to drift off himself.

…

Diaval woke up before Maleficent and Robin. He turned slightly to observe Maleficent's sleeping face, remembering the previous night. Maleficent looked peaceful now, but the memory of her shrieks caused Diaval to shudder.

How had Maleficent had this nightmare if she couldn't remember her past? Perhaps her memories were still there, but blocked, and this certain one had crept into her mind while she was sleeping. But this gave Diaval a bit of hope - if Maleficent could remember her life, then perhaps the spell could be reversed.

Maleficent sighed in her sleep. If Diaval had been human, he would have smiled - she was really quite cute, although he would never dare to voice this aloud. If the spell was reversed, Maleficent wouldn't take too kindly to him having called her "cute."

It hadn't been the first time Maleficent had had a nightmare about losing her wings, though this was the first incident she could remember at the time. But ever since Diaval had become her servant, Maleficent had had these dreams. At first, Diaval would fly down and just sit on her shoulder, despite her thrashing, hoping that his presence could pull her out of her dreams. It often did. She would awaken with a start, see Diaval, and then turn away from him. Diaval realized his dark mistress was ashamed of her moments of weakness, so he resorted to waking her by different, more discreet means. Cawing loudly, then pretending to slumber when her eyes snapped open. He would feel her suspicious eyes on him, but she seemed to be able to pass the noise off for having been in her dream. Or perhaps that's what she wanted to think. Once, during the winter, he had sent a little bit of snow falling in her face, then acted as though he had moved it while shifting in his sleep. Apparently this irritated Maleficent, because she used magic to flick the snow right back at him, startling him off his perch. While this had brought her a little amusement, Diaval didn't attempt to do it again.

Maleficent's eyes slowly slid open, and she smiled at Diaval, who gave a quiet squawk. "Good morning," she said. Diaval fluttered upward as Maleficent slowly sat up, careful not to disturb Robin. "I'm sorry about last night."

"Don't be," Diaval said once he had turned into a human. "It's not your fault you had a nightmare."

Maleficent just nodded, absently smoothing her dress. She was still wearing the once-too-large dress, but she and Aurora had adjusted it the previous day, along with a little help from the pixies. The evidence of this was the thin, faded streak of blue lingering by the hem, all that remained of Flittle's fruitless attempt to dress Maleficent in blue.

Maleficent stood up, and a sleepy male voice said, "Morning."

"Oh, good morning, Robin," said Maleficent. "I didn't know you were up."

"Well, I am," Robin replied, smiling at her. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright, thanks," Maleficent said, spreading her wings. "Hungry, though. I'm going to go find some food, alright?"

"Sure," said Diaval. "I'll come with."

The three set off. Maleficent seemed to grow a bit cheerier as she flew through the Moors in the direction of the forest. "I know where there's a really great patch of blackberries," she told Diaval. As they flew over the trees, Maleficent and Diaval both glanced in the direction of Aurora's castle. She had returned there the previous evening, much to Maleficent's disappointment. But she had promised to come back to the Moors the moment her schedule allowed.

Maleficent, Robin, and Diaval landed in the woods. Robin and Maleficent began to pick berries, chatting animatedly. Diaval hopped a little distance away, scratching at the ground as he searched for insects. He found a few, but his most interesting discovery was something entirely different.

Half-buried in the dirt was one of Maleficent's old rings, crafted from a small animal jaw and rabbit teeth she had found. Diaval cawed softly to himself, remembering when she had worn this ring - the time she had saved young Aurora from falling off a cliff, and again when she had met Aurora in the woods.

"What'd you find, Diaval?"

Diaval looked up, mildly alarmed, as Maleficent approached. She piled her berries up in one hand and reached down with the other, freeing the ring from the ground. "What's this?" she asked, examining the jewelry with slightly narrowed eyes. "Is this a ring? Not a very pleasant one."

Robin hurried over. "What is it, Maleficent - oh." Robin stopped, realization flashing in his eyes. While he had never personally seen the ring before, he recognized the style from Maleficent's darker days.

Turning the ring over in her hand, Maleficent said, "Whose is this, do you think? I can't think of anyone in the Moors who'd wear this. Is this a human's ring?"

Diaval turned into a man. He debated for a moment whether or not to tell her, but then he decided it would be best not to lie. "That's yours," he said hesitantly. Maleficent looked up at him disbelievingly, and he instantly regretted his candor.

"What? Mine?" Maleficent asked, looking back down at the ring. "This isn't mine. I wouldn't wear this. I mean, it seems kind of… dark. It's made from _bones_."

"You - you did wear it, for a little while, as an adult," Diaval said, trying to keep unease out his voice.

"Why?"

"I guess you thought it looked… interesting at the time," Diaval said. Maleficent snorted.

"'Interesting?'"

"Yes, interesting," Diaval said, raising his eyebrows. He couldn't think of another word to describe it to Maleficent. He didn't want to get into too much detail and reveal how much darker she became in her future.

"Hmm," was all Maleficent replied. After a moment of staring at the ring with confused curiosity, she slipped it in a pocket and returned to her berries. Diaval silently turned back into a raven, reflecting on what a close call that had been. And, remembering the look on her face when Diaval had told her that the ring was hers, he thought that maybe Aurora was right - Maleficent should be left unburdened.

…

After wasting half a morning scouring the scroll for hidden meanings or messages, Diaval decided it was time to shelve his pride and ask for help. His assistants were none other than the pixies.

The trio crowded around the scroll. "Flittle, Thistlewit!" Knotgrass complained as she shoved them aside. "Get out of my way!"

Diaval silently groaned. Why had he come to them for help? Perhaps he did have those "moments" Aurora and Maleficent had discussed. Clearly, he would have been better off consulting Maleficent, or even Robin.

With a loud "Hrumph!" Flittle and Thistlewit backed away, leaving Knotgrass to examine the scroll. The pixie frowned as her eyes scanned the parchment.

"Looks like an old faerie language to me," she muttered. "I don't know which one, though."

"Faerie? Don't be silly, Knotgrass!" Flittle exclaimed, zipping up to the scroll. "That's Wallerbog!"

"That's not the wallerbogs' language. At any rate, wallerbogs can't write," Diaval said. Flittle deflated.

"Oh."

Thistlewit giggled, and Flittle elbowed her.

"It's rude to make fun of me," she pouted.

"I wasn't making fun of you!" Thistlewit said, pushing Flittle back.

"Yes, you were!" Flittle insisted, shoving her again. Diaval resisted a sigh, knowing where this was going.

"Ladies, could you please stop fighting?" Diaval asked. Thistlewit and Flittle looked up at him, suddenly remembering he was there.

"We weren't fighting!" they both chimed. Diaval shook his head. Again, why had he bothered?

"And besides," Thistlewit continued as Diaval thanked Knotgrass and took the scroll back, "it's not my fault that Flittle can't tell _Wallerbog _from a sorcerer's language!"

Diaval froze in his tracks, and slowly turned around. "This is… a sorcerer's language?"

"Yes," said Thistlewit, bobbing her head. Knotgrass looked shocked.

"How did you know that? Why didn't you say something?"

"I just remembered, that little girl Katherine used to study it," Thistlewit said.

"Who's Katherine?" asked Diaval, taking a step back to the pixies.

"Oh, she's someone Maleficent used to play with when she was younger," Thistlewit said cheerily. "She was half faerie, half sorceress. She and her older sister lived in the Moors with their mother. Normally sorcerers aren't welcome in the Moors, which I guess is why I never saw the girls' father, but since their mother, Amaryllis, was a lovely faerie, they got to stay."

Dropping her head and her happy tone, Thistlewit said, "But then, when the girls were around Aurora's age, Amaryllis was attacked. She was burned horribly, and not even Maleficent was able to save her. Some of the Fair Folk thought that perhaps it had been Amaryllis' oldest daughter who had killed her, so she and Katherine were exiled."

"That's horrible," Diaval said, dismayed. "Why would she do that?"

"I remember now!" Knotgrass exclaimed, pushing in front of Thistlewit. "The daughter, Leah or Lydia or whatever her name was, was jealous of her mother's powers. You see, a sorcerer's powers are, in a sense, limited. They have to recite a spell if they want to perform magic."

"They aren't like faeries, who just reach within themselves and just _do _something," pitched in Flittle.

"So Lily - "

"I think it was Lydia," Thistlewit interrupted. Knotgrass waved her hand impatiently.

"So the girl was jealous of her mother's powers and her ability to fly. _I _think that in her envy, Lindsey went and" - Knotgrass shuddered deeply for effect before looking back up at Diaval - "killed her poor, poor mother."

"Poor Amaryllis," Flittle said, shaking her head sadly. "She was a nice faerie, very pretty with her blue eyes… Not as pretty as my blue, but still. Lovely lady."

"Lady!" Knotgrass snapped her fingers. "That was the girl's name! Lady."

"No, it was Lydia," Thistlewit argued. Flittle frowned.

"I'm certain it was Leah," she said. "Or was it Rebecca?"

"Don't be daft, it definitely started with 'L,'" said Knotgrass.

"Well, thank you very much for the help," Diaval said, slowly backing away as he sensed an oncoming pixie fight.

"Oh, you're very welcome, Diaval," said Knotgrass, smiling. "It was our pleasure to tell you about Katherine and _Lady_," she finished with a pointed look at her fellow pixies.

"It was Lydia!"

"No, Leah!"

"Lady!"

"Rebecca!"

"'L,' Flittle, '_L_.'"

Turning into a raven, Diaval hurried back to the Rowan Tree, his mind buzzing. So the spell was a sorcerer's? Then why had it been in Stefan's possession?

It suddenly struck Diaval that perhaps Stefan had had a spell to reverse Maleficent's condition. His heart picked up in excitement. Yes, there must be a sort of counterspell at the castle! Diaval almost turned to the castle right then, but then remembered he had Maleficent to take care of. He couldn't just up and leave her.

Perhaps he could take her along with him to the castle. She wouldn't mind, if it meant she could see Aurora. Yes, that's what he would do.

Diaval circled around the Moors, keeping an eye out for Maleficent and Robin. By noon, there had been no sign of them. Feeling slightly worried, Diaval went back to the Rowan Tree, where he found Maleficent and Robin lounging in the shade of the tree, playing some sort of game.

"There you are," he said once he landed. "I've been looking for you all over."

"Sorry," Maleficent said. "We were just flying a bit, went and played a trick on the pixies, and then came back here."

"Maleficent, don't _tell _him we - never mind," Robin said with a sigh, shaking his head. Diaval was surprised.

"When were you at the pixies'? I was just there a while ago."

"We just came back," Maleficent said, grinning a bit. "They were already fighting when we got there. We further annoyed them by drizzling some water on them."

"'Drizzling?' Lass, that was more of a thunderstorm," Robin chuckled. Diaval blinked, reminded of another day when Maleficent had played such a prank on the pixies. He hadn't been impressed with her trickery, which irritated Maleficent. However, he didn't complain - the more often Maleficent went to tease the pixies, the more often Diaval got to see Aurora.

"So where have you been?" Maleficent asked Diaval.

"I think I have an idea on how to return you to your full-grown state," Diaval said. Maleficent blinked.

"Really? What?"

"The scroll was found at the castle. Maybe the counterspell is there, too," Diaval explained.

"Maybe. Are you going to go look for it?" Maleficent asked. She didn't sound particularly excited, which disappointed Diaval a bit. But he understood that she was happy as she was… But then should he not look for a remedy?

"Well, yes," Diaval said after a moment. "I thought that maybe you could come with. Then you could see Aurora."

Maleficent sat up eagerly. "Really?"

"Yes," said Diaval.

"When do you plan to leave?" asked Robin. "Right now? I don't think you'd be able to get to the castle and back by dark."

"I'd like to leave as soon as possible, but maybe we can go tomorrow," said Diaval, taking a moment to consider Maleficent's state of peace.

"That sounds good," Maleficent said, nodding. "In the meantime, do you want to play with Robin and me?"

While Diaval would have liked to perhaps scan the scroll one more time, the look Maleficent gave him was so full of hope and adorable-ness. Diaval couldn't help but set aside the scroll and sit beside the faerie, who adjusted her wings to make room for him against the trunk. "Alright. What are you playing?"

...

Thanks for reading, Malefifreaks. Please review, tell me what you think! Constructive criticism is appreciated.

Thanks!

Kitty


	8. Chapter 8

Maleficent flew through the air, her wings flapping as hard as they could. Her eyes were glued to the army approaching. Even though she was soaring high up in the air, she thought she could feel the ground shaking beneath her - or was that her heart pounding?

The king turned around on his mount as Maleficent swooped out of the air, landing on a boulder. Her wings folded behind her as she and the army stared down one another. Dread sat in her stomach like a rock, but her voice was confident and commanding as she yelled for the army to go no further. Even if it cost her life, Maleficent would forever protect the Moors.

Something nagged at the faerie - she felt like there was something she was forgetting. But she had to concentrate on the threat before her.

His army chuckling behind him, the king called to Maleficent that he would not take orders from a winged elf. Anger bubbled up inside her, chasing away some of the fear as she retorted that he was no king to her.

And then the king told his soldiers to bring him Maleficent's head.

Panic shot through Maleficent. Her heart jumped and began to beat faster, as if this would prevent it from ever stopping. But the army was already advancing on her, and Maleficent hoped they wouldn't sense her fear. She announced for the creatures of the Moors to arise and stand with her, but did not find out who, if anyone, actually came to her aid. Her only response was a voice, echoing at first but then all too sharp, exclaiming, "Maleficent! It's just a dream, wake up!"

With a start, Maleficent's eyes snapped open, and she wildly looked around her. But instead of a menacing army, all she saw was Diaval's worried face as he leaned over her.

"Maleficent, are you alright?" Robin asked, hovering into Maleficent's line of vision.

"They want to kill me!" Maleficent gasped, clenching her fists to keep them from trembling.

"No one wants to kill you, Maleficent," Diaval said, brushing strands of hair away from her face. Maleficent hadn't realized that her hair was sticking to her forehead and the back of her neck, plastered there by sweat.

Shaking her head violently, Maleficent said, "No, no, there's an army - they were attacking the Moors - they want my head!"

"It was only a dream," Diaval said soothingly, helping Maleficent to sit up.

"A dream?" Maleficent asked in disbelief. There was no way that had been a dream, it was so _real_….

"Yes, a dream," Diaval said. "Remember, Aurora said there is peace between the humans and the Moors?"

So she had. Maleficent began to calm down as she realized Diaval was right - it was only a nightmare.

Why was Maleficent having these dreams? She had never been haunted by nightmares before. And these were so vivid….

Maleficent sighed and glanced around the tree. The inky black sky was beginning to soften to grey, signaling the approach of a new dawn.

"I'm sorry I woke you up," Maleficent said quietly.

"No, it's fine," Diaval replied, sitting back. "It's nearly morning anyway. I suppose we could leave for Aurora's castle even now, unless either one of you want to try to get another hour of sleep?"

"I'd like to go now, it that's alright," Maleficent said, hoping that a bit of flying and adventure would take her mind off her nightmares.

"Robin?" Diaval inquired, looking expectantly at Robin.

It occurred to Maleficent that Robin might not want to go to the castle, considering his dislike of humans. Indeed, Robin looked quite uncomfortable, scratching his head as he searched for words.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to," Maleficent told him. "I can take care of myself, and besides, I'll be with Aurora and Diaval."

"No, I'll come," Robin said with a little sigh. Maleficent felt a bit guilty that he was doing this for her, but before she could say anything, Robin winked at her and said, "Besides, I could use the exercise. I've been feeling a little fat lately."

Maleficent laughed as she got to her feet. "Stop it, Robin, you're not fat," she giggled. Robin always knew how to cheer her up.

"You're right, I'm not! It's physically impossible for me to be anything other than dashing," Robin teased.

"I thought vanity was Diaval's thing."

Diaval, who had just turned into a raven, gave a squawk of protest. Maleficent dove out of the

tree, laughing, Robin right behind her.

Soaring through the sky gave Maleficent a chance to forget about her nightmare as the joy of flying consumed her. She didn't know what she would ever do without her wings.

…

The guards at the front gates looked astonished when Maleficent and Robin landed before them. They looked more astounded still when Diaval transformed into a man and said, "Hello, we would like to request an audience with Queen Aurora."

The guards glanced between Maleficent, Robin, and Diaval. The taller one cleared his throat and asked, "And who might you be?"

"I am Diaval, this is Robin, and this is Maleficent, all of the Moors," Diaval said. The scrawnier one of the guards blanched as the other scoffed.

"Maleficent, Protector of the Moors? Lady Maleficent is a woman, not a girl," he said.

"Unless this is your daughter, also named Maleficent?" the other one suggested, looking at Diaval.

"_What?!_" Maleficent and Diaval both cried, staring at the guards in utter disbelief. Robin doubled over in laughter, and Maleficent fought the urge to swipe him out of the air.

"No, no, no, she's most _definitely _not my daughter," Diaval assured the guards as Maleficent made a great show of gagging. "Maleficent, er, performed a spell that made her like this. Ask the Queen if you will, she can confirm it."

"Fine, I will take you to the Queen," the taller guard said.

Maleficent stared at the castle as the guard escorted her, Robin, and Diaval up a drawbridge. It seemed larger than it had always looked from the Moors.

"Would it really be that bad to be my daughter?" Diaval asked Maleficent.

"Yes," Maleficent answered immediately, enjoying teasing the raven-man. Diaval cocked an eyebrow, and Robin chuckled. He seemed to find the entire thing very entertaining. "Okay, maybe not. As long as I didn't inherit your bird brains."

Diaval groaned as they entered the castle, protesting that ravens were "actually very smart." Maleficent was speechless as she gazed at the sights around her.

Aurora's castle was very fine looking. The soft-grey stone was pretty, but Maleficent was a bit wary of it. It felt dead compared to the rocks in the Moors, which always emitted a sense of being alive and magic. Tapestries lined the walls, their colors pleasing to the eye. Maleficent smiled when she saw some of the decorations depicted the Moors and other areas of nature. The people Maleficent came across - mostly servants - were happy and content. Being so enraptured by the sights around her, Maleficent did not notice the curious and startled looks cast her way.

"_So this is where Stefan wants to live_," Maleficent thought. She could see why. It was a lovely place, but so out of tune with nature. The bright tapestries and vases of flowers could not disguise that. It was the kind of place Maleficent would be happy to explore for a few hours, but she would not be sorry to leave and return home to the Moors.

The guard stopped at a door and knocked. A moment later, Aurora's voice called, "Enter."

Behind the door was a small study. Aurora sat at a desk with a small, wizened old man standing before her. He had obviously been lecturing her on something. There was a map spread before Aurora, and a small slim stick was still pointing at a spot, despite the intrusion.

Aurora's face lit up when she saw who was standing behind the guard. She jumped up, her chair screeching against the floor, and hurried over to them. "Godmo - Maleficent, Diaval, Robin! I didn't realize you were coming," she smiled, pushing past the guard to hug Maleficent. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," said Diaval as he and Aurora embraced. "Everything's fine. I had an idea yesterday on helping Maleficent return to her normal form."

"Really?" Aurora exclaimed, looking excitedly and a little relieved. "That's fantastic!"

"Hey, what's wrong with me now?" Maleficent asked, crossing her arms.

"Nothing," Aurora said, shaking her head. "I apologize, I didn't mean it like that." She turned to the guard. "Thank you for seeing them here. You are dismissed."

The guard left. "It's so wonderful to see you all," Aurora gushed, as though they had been parted for the longest time. "How are you all?"

"We're well, thank you," Diaval said. Before Aurora could reply, the old professor cleared his throat. Aurora looked back at him and deflated slightly.

Giving a sigh, Aurora said, "I have to return to my lesson. Diaval, you know the palace well enough. Do you want to go to my room or the library?"

"I'd like to take a look around the library," Diaval said. Aurora nodded.

"Alright, then I will meet you there in about an hour's time," she said.

"Until then," said Diaval, bowing himself out of the door.

"I'll see you in a while," Maleficent said, smiling at Aurora before leaving. Robin hovered next to her, his eyes darting around. "Robin, relax. Everything is fine."

"Aye, I know," Robin said nervously. "But I don't like this place. Not at all."

"I think it's nice, but I wouldn't like to live here," Maleficent told him. "No room to fly."

To prove her point, Maleficent stretched out her wings. She jumped as one of her wings knocked over a vase and it crashed to the ground.

"Oh! Sorry!" Maleficent said, blushing as a servant came rushing up to clean the mess. "I'm sorry.…"

Looking rather annoyed, the servant looked up at Maleficent. Her expression turned to one of bewilderment. "Who're you?" she grunted.

Before Maleficent could reply, Diaval called, "Maleficent, Robin, come on."

The servant's eyes widened, and she backed away from Maleficent slightly.

"I'm sorry," Maleficent said one last time before hurrying after Diaval, Robin at her side. Once they were out of earshot, Maleficent asked, "Why did she look so afraid?"

"Not used to seeing you young like this, I suppose," Robin said. Maleficent thought he sounded as though he were hiding something, but decided that his unease of being in the castle was affecting his tone.

"So," Maleficent said as she caught up to Diaval, "what language is the scroll in anyway?"

"It's a sorcerer's language," Diaval said as they turned a corner. Maleficent's heart skipped a beat.

"Oh!" she cried, her voice echoing down the corridor. "I have a friend who's a sorceress! Well, part sorceress. She can translate this for us!"

Diaval gave her a startled glance, then looked straight ahead once more. Maleficent's enthusiasm faded slightly when Diaval didn't get excited. In fact, he looked almost disappointed, or worried.

"That's great, but I think the matter is more finding the remedy than just translating the spell," Diaval said.

"Oh," Maleficent said, disappointed that her grand suggestion was useless. "Well, maybe Katherine can still help us out. Or Lydia."

"Who are they?" Diaval asked. Maleficent didn't notice that he sounded like he was forcing polite interest.

"My friends from the Moors," Maleficent said. "They're sisters, and part faerie, part sorceress. Katherine is around my age, and Lydia a year older than Katherine. Katherine is very nice, friendly, and bubbly. Quite like Aurora, really, but more studious. She taught me to read, though I've never really read anything. Lydia is very different from Katherine. She's a bit mean, actually, but she means well. She used to like to spend time with Katherine and me more when we were little, but lately, she's been a bit distant. Katherine says that she's focusing on becoming a stronger sorceress."

"Interesting," Diaval said in a stiff voice. Maleficent frowned - not because of his reaction, though.

"I've just realized, I've spent so much time with you and Aurora, I haven't seen Katherine or Lydia in days!" Maleficent exclaimed. She hadn't seen Stefan in several days, either, but she supposed he would be back soon. She hoped he wouldn't be upset if he came to the Moors that day and she was not there. "No offense, of course. I didn't mean it like spending time with you and Aurora is a bother or anything. I love being with you two and Robin."

"I was wondering when you were going to say something about me," Robin said. "I thought you'd almost forgotten me."

Maleficent giggled. "You silly faerie, I could never forget you!"

Grinning, Robin said, "Good to know, lass. Good to know."

"Here we are," Diaval said suddenly. He pushed open a large door, and the trio entered a large room unlike any place Maleficent had ever seen before.

There were perhaps fifteen bookcases, each eight feet high. Hundreds of books were fit on the

the shelves, and Maleficent was impressed with how many books there were. She wasn't sure, with her limited knowledge of humans, but from a conversation that had passed between Katherine and Stefan, books weren't a common luxury.

"I'm going to go take a look around in that desk," Diaval said. "Do you want to go find a book?"

"I'm not a big reader, but I'll take a look around," Maleficent said with a shrug. She went over to the nearest bookcase and picked a random book bound in a faded green cover. She opened it to discover poetry. Maleficent tried to read one poem, but found despite it's sweet subject - love - she didn't care for it. So she closed the book and moved on to the next.

"Not to your liking?" Robin asked.

"No," Maleficent said just as Diaval yelled out. Maleficent whipped around. "Diaval! What is it?"

"There's a mouse in here," Diaval said in mild disgust. "It tried to bite me!"

"Do mice actually bite people?"

"I don't know, but this one tried to bite me!" Diaval said, glaring into the drawer. "It's a demon mouse…."

Maleficent rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous," she said, walking over to the drawer. Settled in a nest of papers, a mouse looked up at her, its whiskers twitching. "Hi, there, little one."

Slowly reaching in, Maleficent stroked the mouse behind its ears. It closed its eyes and leaned into her touch. Carefully, she scooped it out of the drawer. The mouse faced Diaval, and Maleficent swore she saw it give him a nasty look.

"See! Demon mouse!" Diaval cried.

"No, he's cute," Maleficent defended. "Maybe he only likes faeries. Or he just knows you're a bird, and doesn't like you."

"How nice," Diaval scoffed, looking into the drawer as Maleficent walked away.

"I'm going to take him outside, alright?"

"But you don't know how to get outside and back."

"Oh, right," Maleficent said. "I'll keep him with me for now. Maybe he can come to the Moors."

"That thing is not coming home with us," Diaval said. "If it does, I'll eat it."

"See, Diaval, this is why the mouse doesn't like you," Maleficent pointed out. Robin laughed and flew to Maleficent's cupped hands to take a closer look at the creature.

"He seems like a nice little fellow," Robin called to Diaval. Diaval grunted in disbelief before focusing on his search.

Maleficent took the mouse to another corner and sat down, petting the mouse gently. After a moment, the mouse moved to the edge of her hands and looked down, as if it wanted to be let on the floor. Slightly taken aback by its intelligence, Maleficent set it down. Before she could stop it, the mouse went scurrying to the wall, ran down a few feet, and disappeared in a crevice in the wall.

"Well," Robin said, "that was… quite the mouse."

Smirking in Diaval's direction, Maleficent said, "A pity he went away, I rather liked him."

...

Hey Malefifreaks! Hope you liked this chapter. Sorry it took me a while to post, but... life happened. (I drew a picture, discovered Tumblr, and got writer's block, among other things.) However, next chappie is already halfway done, so hopefully I can get that up this week.

Forgot to mention this in the last chapter, but that sorcerer's language? Actually Latin. Mangled Latin, though, because I got it off Google Translate. Google Translate isn't always very accurate...

Thanks for reading! Please review. Constructive criticism is welcomed!

Kitty


	9. Chapter 9

True to her word, Aurora showed up at the library once her lesson was completed. Maleficent was sitting in a corner, her wings curled around her as she admired the pictures in a book. Robin hovered by her elbow, making a comment that Maleficent laughed at. Diaval was rummaging through a desk, papers strewn everywhere. His mouth was pulled in an irritated frown.

"Hello," Aurora greeted them. Maleficent's head snapped up, a smile appearing on her face.

"Hi, Aurora!" said Maleficent. "How was your lesson?"

"It was fine. A little dull, but oh well. It's better than needlepoint," Aurora said, her nose wrinkling at the thought. She rather disliked needlepoint. It was very boring.

"You do needlepoint?" Diaval asked, looking up.

"Yes," Aurora nodded.

Diaval raised his eyebrows. "Huh," was all he said before returning to his search. Aurora supposed, considering the curse that had been placed on her as a baby, doing needlepoint was kind of ironic. But it was insisted she learn.

"What book are you reading?" Aurora asked, walking over to Maleficent.

"It's a book about plants and animals," Maleficent explained, holding it up. Aurora looked at the picture on the page, an ink drawing of bluebell.

"But she's not reading it so much as looking at the pictures, now are you, Maleficent?" Robin teased. Maleficent rolled her eyes, smiling.

"You're not reading it, either."

"Aye, you got me there!" Robin laughed. Aurora was pleased that Robin seemed to be at ease in the castle. Or, at least, not paranoid.

"We found a mouse in the desk," Maleficent told Aurora. "He positively hated Diaval."

"It was a demon mouse!" Diaval cried, looking up again. Aurora giggled.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes! I swear, that mouse was evil! But Maleficent liked him," Diaval said, glaring at the faerie. She smiled innocently.

"He was a good little mouse," she said. Diaval snorted and turned back to the desk. Maleficent smirked at his back and shut her book.

"Are you done with that, then?" asked Aurora as Maleficent stood.

"I'm not much of a reader," Maleficent said as she returned the book to its original spot.

"How would you like to go outside and take a look around the garden?" Aurora asked. Maleficent's eyes lit up, and Robin also looked eager.

"That would be wonderful!" Maleficent said, and she hurried over to Aurora, her wings fluttering in excitement. "Let's go!"

"We'll be back soon, Diaval," Aurora said, walking away with Maleficent and Robin.

"Alright," Diaval replied absently.

Strolling down the corridors, Aurora said, "I'll be the first to say that while the garden here is lovely, it isn't anything near as wonderful as the Moors. Most humans like their gardens to be arranged tidy and neat. But you and I were able to help with this garden so it wasn't so contained. But still, it isn't as beautiful and free as the Moors. Then again, what is?"

"I can't wait to see it, Aurora," Maleficent said, smiling at the young Queen.

A group of young maids walked by. Aurora frowned as they cringed away from Robin, Maleficent, and her. Then she caught herself and smiled at them. "Hello," she said, hoping for a kind response, but they just hurried away, stealing glances at Maleficent.

"That was odd," Maleficent said. "Are servants normally that nervous? I met one earlier, and she almost looked scared of me."

"Some people are a little wary of magical folk," Aurora said, sighing. And while that was true, the servants were probably more startled to find the queen's infamous godmother not only in their presence, but also suddenly a child.

"But I thought the Moors and this kingdom were united?" Maleficent said.

"We are, but the humans are still wary of magical folk, and vice versa," Aurora said a little sadly. She wished the subjects of her kingdom were closer. She had considered special events before, to bring humans and the creatures of the Moors together so they might see the other is not as bad as they have thought. But these hopes had been shot down by the Council.

Maleficent was silent for most of the walk outside, perhaps thinking of the relationship between Aurora's two kingdoms. But she was distracted from her thoughts once the group reached the courtyard in which the garden was located.

"Wow," Maleficent murmured as she took it all in.

The garden was, indeed, splendid. Aurora had worked hard to see to its creation and continued health. Maleficent had helped with the garden, bringing seeds from the Moors and coaxing them to grow into the grand sight that lay before Aurora's eyes. Colorful flowers waved under the day's slight breeze, their scent perfuming the air. Ivy teased the lower trunks of trees, which provided shade on the brick path winding through the garden. Bees flitted from flower to flower and birds chirped to one another.

"This is quite nice," Robin said, nodding appreciatively. Aurora smiled.

"Thank you," she said. "Come, I'll show you my favorite spot."

The three made their way to a corner hidden in the back of the garden. It was here where Aurora was most content, for it was much less contained than the rest of the garden. Flowers grew where they pleased, not worried by boundaries and order. A tree grew at the top of a little slope, and Aurora contently sat against its trunk. "This is my favorite spot," she told Maleficent. "I like to come here when I miss the Moors. It's not the same, but it's comforting."

Maleficent nodded, touching a flower with her fingertips. "Robin is right, the garden is very nice. It's kind of a merge between your two kingdoms. A traditional human garden combined with the plants of the Moors."

"Yes," Aurora nodded, although Maleficent's philosophy wasn't entirely correct. The layout of the garden wasn't a common traditional human garden. Most gardens were grown to supply a family with food, and only wealthy people had flower gardens.

The threesome enjoyed the garden until one of the caretakers appeared. They nervously explained to the queen that they were to groom the garden, and - glancing at Maleficent's large wings and twisted horns - asked if they could kindly be left alone to do so. Reluctantly, Aurora, Maleficent, and Robin left. They strolled through the halls of the castle, chatting casually. However, their discussion diverted Aurora's attention from where they were going, and she suddenly realized she didn't know what part of the castle they were in.

"What is it?" Maleficent asked when Aurora stopped walking. Aurora gave a slight laugh.

"Oh, I forgot to pay attention to where we were walking, and now I'm afraid we're a little lost," she said. Maleficent looked worried. "It's fine, here, let's just retrace our steps…."

"Do you get lost often?" Maleficent asked the group walked back down the hall.

"Every now and then. It's a big castle," Aurora said. Maleficent laughed.

"That's for sure," she said as they turned a corner. "Oh!"

Instinctively, Aurora grabbed Maleficent's shoulder and pulled her back.

"Jumping grasshoppers," Robin muttered.

The corridor was filled with iron thorns and brambles, a remain of Stefan's reign. Aurora's heart pounded at the sight of it - she had thought that all of Stefan's iron traps had long since been destroyed. Her mind raced back to when she had first arrived at the castle and laid eyes on the devices meant to keep out Maleficent. She had been horrified, and the impression had never faded.

"What is this?" Maleficent asked quietly, her voice trembling slightly with shock.

"The-the last ruler, the king, he meant to keep the Fair Folk out of the castle," Aurora said, her eyes glued to the terrifying structure before her. "He put up iron traps like this all over the castle…. When I became Queen, they were all taken down. Or, I thought all of them had."

"King Henry did this?" Maleficent said. In horrified fascination, she took a step toward the iron thorns. Aurora quickly yanked her back.

"We should go," she said urgently, and without further ado, the trio hurried away. Aurora's thoughts flew around her mind as she remembered the night of Stefan's death. She had been so scared when she had seen her godmother curled under the iron net, soldiers prodding her with weapons…. Diaval the dragon causing chaos…. Maleficent had shouted for Aurora to flee, and feeling hopeless, she had obeyed…. She felt terrible running when her godmother needed help, and for months, she pushed away the thoughts of what could have happened if she hadn't found Maleficent's wings.

Aurora burst through a set of doors, and halted. She had just barged in the empty throne room.

"Oh my goodness," Maleficent breathed, taking in the grand sight. "This room is huge!"

"Yes, it is. But we - we shouldn't be in here," Aurora said, forcing the lie out. Maleficent looked as though she were questioning this, but didn't speak as she followed Aurora out. She threw a glance over her shoulder, coincidentally looking at the exact spot where she and her wings had been reunited. And from what Aurora had heard, that was also where Maleficent had cast her curse.

Aurora was grateful when they managed to get back to the library without further incident. Diaval looked up as they hurried in. Frowning as he took in Aurora and Robin's worried faces, he asked, "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, but we, ah, came across one of the last king's iron traps," Aurora said. Diaval looked surprised.

"But you had them all taken down," he said. "The iron workers missed one, then?"

"Apparently so," Aurora said, her face flushed. Maleficent looked confused at her worry. Perhaps Aurora was overreacting, but she could suddenly not get the image of her trapped godmother out of her head. For a moment, she wished Maleficent was her normal self. The child in her seeked reassurance that everything was alright, and would remain so. But she had to cope by herself.

"How is the search going?" Aurora asked, changing the subject. Diaval scowled.

"There is nothing useful in this desk," he grunted, thumping his fist on the wood as if it would help.

"I'm sorry. What can I do to help?" Aurora asked. "What exactly are you searching for, anyway?"

"I suppose you could look through those books, and see if there is anything about translating a sorcerer's language," Diaval said.

"A sorcerer's language?"

"That's what the spell was written in."

"Like I said earlier, Diaval, maybe my friend Katherine can help," Maleficent pitched in. Floating by her shoulder, Robin tensed up. "Maybe she could even come up with a spell to reverse it, if she doesn't already know one."

It struck Aurora that Maleficent didn't realize her friends where all grown up.

"Perhaps," Diaval said. "But we better keep searching here first, just in case there is something here. Aurora, if you could look at these books and see if there is one on sorcerer's language, that would be helpful."

"I'll help, too," Maleficent volunteered, moving past the disappointment that her idea wasn't as well received as she had hoped. She walked over to a bookshelf and took a book off the shelf. Aurora went to the end of the bookshelf near Diaval.

"What's wrong with Maleficent asking her friend?" she asked quietly. "Even if this Katherine isn't a child anymore, she could still - "

"We'll talk about this later," Diaval interrupted, throwing a glance at Maleficent.

"Alright," Aurora said slowly, suddenly worried. Had something happened to Katherine? Even if Aurora didn't know her, she dreaded the thought of something having happened to one of Maleficent's friends.

They searched the library until lunchtime. Diaval refused to admit defeat, and shut himself away in the library for the afternoon. Aurora, Maleficent, and Robin went to the Queen's room and entertained themselves there. They talked, and Aurora and Maleficent played a little bit of dress up. Maleficent had difficulty putting the dresses on because of her wings, but the clothes were all too big anyway. She did enjoy looking through the jewelry box, finding items that had once been Aurora's mother's and comparing them to stones and colors in the Moors.

"Oh, this is - I recognize this!" Maleficent said, holding up a necklace. The stone glittered in the light cast through the window. "This is from the Pool of Jewels!"

"Aye, it is," Robin said, ever-present at her side. "How did it get here?"

"I don't know," Aurora said truthfully, but she had an idea. Her father must have given it to her mother. A token stolen from the Moors.

Maleficent looked at the stone for a while. She opened her mouth, closed it, then asked hesitantly "Aurora?"

"Yes?"

"Can I tell you a secret? You, too, Robin," she said.

"Of course," Aurora nodded, walking over to the seat by the window. Maleficent sat across from her, spreading her wings on either side of the chair. Robin took a perch on the back of her chair, sitting by one of Maleficent's horns.

"Robin," Maleficent said, twisting her neck to face him. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you this earlier, but I knew you wouldn't approve."

Sighing and looking back to Aurora, she said, "I met a human boy at the Pool of Jewels. His name was Stefan."

Aurora's heart leapt, and she struggled to keep her face calm. She couldn't believe Maleficent was bringing this up.

"Stefan and I - we became friends. He kept coming to see me, even after I told him it wasn't safe," Maleficent, wringing her hands. She looked up at Robin. "Robin, I'm sorry, I know you wouldn't want me to have done that. I know you don't like humans, but he's different! He has so little, but he still threw away his iron ring for me. He's kind, and fun, and smart…."

Robin's tiny fists were clenched in an effort to not reveal his ugly thoughts about Stefan. While it was difficult for Aurora to listen to Maleficent to speak so adoringly of Stefan, who she believed to be a good friend, it was also reassuring. Her father hadn't always been a monster.

"Stefan sounds like a nice boy," Aurora said. It was true. He had been a nice boy, who had grown up to be a not-so-nice man.

"He is," Maleficent said. "Robin, he isn't like other humans. He wouldn't hurt me. We want to prove that there can be peace and friendship between faeries and humans. Can you forgive me for seeing him?"

For a moment, Robin struggled with himself. Then he managed to say, "Aye."

"Are you sure?" Maleficent asked, looking worried. Robin nodded.

"I am." There was nothing he could do about the relationship, anyway. Maleficent didn't know it, but this was information of long ago, and Stefan was dead.

"Alright," said Maleficent, relieved. The trio lapsed into silence. Maleficent seemed to have more she wanted to say, to defend Stefan, but was worried that this might provoke Robin to withdraw what he had said. In the meantime, Robin and Aurora were dealing with nasty thoughts of the man Maleficent's friend had become.

Just as Maleficent opened her mouth to speak, Diaval burst into the room. "I have searched every inch of that library!" he exclaimed, angrily raising a fist. "I have gone through that desk over and over, but I haven't found a single thing! Not even just a hint!"

Diaval slumped down on Aurora's bed, burying his head in his hands. Aurora and Maleficent hurried over to him.

"It's alright, we'll find something," Aurora said, sitting next to him. On Diaval's other side, Maleficent tentatively put a hand on Diaval's arm.

"I'm sorry," she said. Diaval looked up at her.

"There isn't anything for you to apologize for," he said. "I should be apologizing for not having found anything."

"Diaval, no," Maleficent shook her head. "You don't have to be concerned for me. I know that this is… insane for you. You know a grown-up, different me. And maybe that grown-up, different me would be distressed at being young again. But I - I swear I'm fine like this. It's shocking, seeing how things have changed. But I think it is all for the better. I have you, and Aurora, and Robin, and I couldn't ask for more. I really couldn't be happier."

"Really?" Diaval asked. Aurora smiled in relief, glad to hear the words coming from Maleficent's mouth. They really didn't have to worry for her.

"Really," Maleficent nodded. Diaval embraced her, Aurora following suite. Robin settled on Aurora's shoulder and squeezed, and she laid a hand on his small arm.

At that moment, Aurora agreed with Maleficent. She couldn't be happier.

...

Hey, Malefifreaks!

Thanks to Niker for suggesting that Maleficent stumble upon one of Stefan's old traps!

Thanks for reading! Please review! Constructive criticism is welcomed!

Kitty


	10. Chapter 10

Maleficent stared down a corridor, full of iron thorns. She held a staff in her left hand, and her back felt odd. Maybe that was because she was somehow holding herself differently, but before she had time to identify it, someone spoke.

"Mistress?" Diaval asked from behind her. Maleficent wondered why he called her mistress, but her only response was beginning to slink past the iron spikes. She couldn't think why she was doing this, but it was important she get past these brambles.

Silently, Maleficent navigated through the deadly trap. She spared a few glances to see how Diaval was doing, and was surprised to see he was toting around an unconscious, floating young man. She had no idea who the man was, or why he was like that, or why Diaval was leading him, but every time these questions came to her lips, she turned away.

A burning pain shot through Maleficent, and she gasped as she awoke, ending the dream. Her eyes flew open, revealing only a starry night. She took a few heavy breaths to calm her racing heart as she looked around. Robin was still asleep by her side, and she saw Diaval the raven sitting above her. He too appeared to also be asleep, and Maleficent was glad that she hadn't woken either of them.

Maleficent tried to settle back to sleep, but she couldn't stop thinking about that dream. She was sure the corridor was the same one from earlier that day, but she had no idea why she had to pass through it. Why had Diaval called her - oh. She had been Diaval's mistress, once, after saving his life. The thought was foreign to Maleficent. Diaval, her servant? How strange.

It was still the middle of the night. Maleficent knew she couldn't go for a flight to settle her mind, but she decided just to climb out of her tree. Then, if Robin woke up, she could alert him to her presence before he panicked much.

Maleficent stood for a moment at the trunk, gazing into the sky. Stars twinkled, and the moon was full and bright. Maleficent wondered if her parents were up there, their smiles shining down at her with the light of the stars. The thought was comforting, and Maleficent walked to sit on the edge of the cliff. She began to lean back into the tree, but something straight and stiff stopped her. She looked back.

A staff stood against the tree trunk. A large stone set on top of it gleamed in the moonlight. The slim wood was twisted and gnarled, like an aged tree.

It was the staff from her dream.

…

"Maleficent?"

Only when Maleficent's eyes slid open did she realize she had fallen asleep. Bleary eyed, she looked up.

"Maleficent, where are you?"

"Robin, I'm down here," Maleficent announced, blinking the sleep from her eyes as she stood up. Her wings stretched, knocking the staff over.

"Oh, thank the gods," Robin said as Maleficent flew into the tree. "I didn't know what to think when I woke up and found you gone…."

"Where were you?" Diaval asked, turning into a human. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, of course, I'm fine," Maleficent said. "I'm sorry I worried you, I was just sleeping out of the tree. I didn't mean to fall asleep there, but I had another one of those dreams last night, and couldn't fall back to sleep. I went out of the tree, but then - I found a staff leaning against the trunk. And I recognized it, I saw the exact same staff in my dream! I sat next to it to think, and I guess I fell asleep."

Diaval was silent, his dark eyes worried. Maleficent turned to him. "Did you know that staff was there?"

"Yes," Diaval nodded slowly.

"Why is it there? Whose is it? I saw it in my dream. I was using it."

"What was your dream about?" asked Robin.

"Diaval and I were trying to get through that corridor of iron thorns in Aurora's castle," Maleficent said, looking to Diaval. "Or, I think it was the same corridor from yesterday. I was holding the staff, and you - Diaval, you were pulling along a floating boy. We worked our way past most of the thorns, but then I woke up."

Maleficent stared at Diaval, who didn't seem to know what to say. He exchanged a look with Robin, who hovered in the air nervously.

"It's just a dream, isn't it?" she asked, her heart beginning to pound in dread. "But… then why is that staff there? I've never seen it before. Whose is it?"

After a moment, Diaval sighed and said, "It's yours."

"Mine? Why would I need a staff?"

Diaval looked upset as he thought of what to say. Maleficent remembered using the staff in her dream, holding it to the side as she focused on staying away from the iron spikes. She was so tall, she had to keep twisting her head to keep her horns from bumping against the thorns. How Maleficent had managed to flawlessly keep her wings out of harm's way was -

_Wait._

"I didn't have wings," Maleficent muttered. Diaval looked startled, and Robin's wings stopped beating so suddenly he nearly fell out of the tree.

"What?"

"In my dream, I was using the staff because I didn't have wings!" Maleficent exclaimed. "It was like my first dream, when I woke up and didn't have any wings, but it must have been later…."

Maleficent ached at the thought of not having wings. To never feel the wind rushing through her feathers, never soar above the clouds, never have an aerial advantage when having a mud fight with the wallerbogs…. But of course, her wings were still firmly attached to her back. They rustled to assure her of this. It was all a dream, but then why would she have the staff…?

"Why didn't I have wings?" Maleficent asked. Diaval put his head in his hands, then ran his fingers through his hair. Robin looked at Maleficent in what could only be identified as pity.

"Maleficent - "

"And don't tell me it was just a dream, because I know it wasn't!" Maleficent cried, her voice rising. She was confused - what had happened to her poor wings? When did she lose them? How? Maleficent had never before heard of a faerie without wings.

"That's not what I was going to say," Diaval said, looking up with pain etched in his face. "I - I think we should talk about this with Aurora."

"Why? What does Aurora have to do with the loss of my wings?" Maleficent said angrily. She instantly felt bad for speaking of Aurora in such a harsh tone, but she wanted to know what was being hidden from her immediately.

"She can help me explain," Diaval said. "I - I can't do it by myself. I'll go to the castle right now and see if she can come back to the Moors, and we can talk."

"Why can't we all just go to the castle?" Maleficent asked. She clenched her fists in frustration, annoyed at the world. What was going on? Diaval rubbed his temples.

"Alright, then, come on," Diaval said. A moment later, Maleficent, Diaval, and Robin flew out of the tree. Maleficent's spirit began to rise as her wings pumped hard to propel her across the sky, but then she remembered - there would be, or there had been, a time when her wings were gone. And she sank into misery once more.

…

Aurora was again surprised at Maleficent, Diaval, and Robin's arrival. This time, she was in a meeting with a large group of robed people, whom Maleficent assumed to be the Council.

"Maleficent, Dia - what's wrong?" Aurora's happy smile faded at the grim looks on the trio's faces. She stood up from her throne. A member of the Council cleared his throat loudly, but Aurora's focus was only on Maleficent, Diaval, and Robin.

"May we see you once you are done here?"

"Is it important?"

"Very."

"Then it cannot wait." Aurora turned to the Council. "My deepest apologies, but I believe my presence is needed elsewhere."

"But Your Majesty - " began the elderly, overweight man who had cleared his throat.

"We will return to our business tomorrow, at the same time," Aurora announced, hurrying down to where Maleficent, Diaval, and Robin stood, a guard not far behind them. Aurora gave Maleficent a brief smile, and they exited the throne room.

"Thank you, Smith," Aurora said to the guard, nodding her head in dismissal. The guard walked away, his metal armor clanking. "What is the matter, Diaval?"

Maleficent answered, "I need to know what happened to my wings."

At first, Aurora looked stricken. Her look of surprise changed to one of grief. "How did you find out?"

"I had a dream."

"Oh. Let's go to my room."

Maleficent was a bit more than annoyed at the extra waiting, and the moment Aurora's door closed, she asked, "What happened?"

Aurora and Diaval exchanged a look before they began to tell the story.

...

That's the best cliffhanger I can come up with for now. Sorry, I'm not Rick Riordan. But I'm working on it. *evil grin*

This chapter's a bit short, so sorry. But the next one should be quite long.

Please review! Constructive criticism and random jokes welcome!

Thanks for reading!

Kitty


	11. Chapter 11

"You told me of Stefan yesterday," Aurora said, wringing her hands anxiously. "I suppose this all begins with him."

Maleficent frowned in worry. Judging from the look on Aurora's face, whatever Stefan had done had not been very good.

"As children, you two were the best of friends. You eventually fell in love, and on your sixteenth birthday, Stefan gave you what he called 'True Love's Kiss,'" Aurora said. Maleficent suddenly felt very light-headed and giddy, and a tiny smile worked its way onto her lips. She and Stefan? Lovers? That was… amazing. "But… he began to grow distant from you, blinded by ambition. You hadn't seen him for a month when one day, King Henry's army attacked the Moors. With the help of the creatures of the Moors, you were able to fight them off. King Henry was injured… by you, as you fought to protect your home."

For a brief second, Maleficent felt guilty and ashamed for having hurt someone, but then she remembered - King Henry was one of the horrible humans. He killed Maleficent's parents.

"King Henry was dying when he offered the greatest reward for whomever managed to avenge him. Stefan - he wanted the throne very much," Aurora went on. She ducked her head for a moment before meeting Maleficent's gaze once more. Her gentle blue eyes were full of pain, but she did not tear them away from Maleficent. Maleficent wasn't sure if this made her feel better or worse. "He - went to the Moors, and you forgave him for living with the humans and being so consumed with desire for greatness. But… Maleficent, I'm sorry, but Stefan - he…."

"Don't sugarcoat it," Maleficent said, the words coming out harsher than she meant for them to sound. Aurora's shoulders sank.

"Stefan drugged you, and when you were asleep… instead of killing you…"

"He stole your wings," Diaval finished for Aurora, his eyes mournful.

"He betrayed me? For the humans?" Maleficent asked in a soft voice. Her nightmares had been true. Her wings had been lost. Stolen. Suddenly, the castle seemed much darker and less welcoming. She had a strong urge to leave for the Moors at once, but she needed Aurora, Diaval, and Robin to tell her the story of her life.

"Maleficent, I'm so sorry," Aurora said, walking over and bringing Maleficent into her embrace. Maleficent paused before hugging her back.

"I don't get it. If he stole my wings, then… why do I have them now?" Maleficent asked after a moment, stepping away from Aurora.

"That comes later," Aurora murmured before continuing, "Stefan's betrayal was brutal. Unbelieveable." Aurora made a face akin to a scowl, but her features couldn't quite manage. Still, Maleficent thought the look rather didn't suit the kind-hearted Queen.

"But you didn't let it kill you. You created a staff, the staff you saw by the Rowan Tree," Robin added. Maleficent nodded.

"You took up residence in the ruins of a castle, far away from the Moors," Aurora said. "One day, you came across a farmer, who had captured a raven under a net."

"That raven was, of course, me," Diaval said. "You saved my life by turning me into a man." A smile tugged at one corner of his lips. "You should have seen the farmer's face. 'It's a demon!'" Diaval cried, mocking the farmer. "And those wretched dogs were scared witless… Ha… Serves them right."

"Diaval," Aurora prompted.

"Right, sorry. In return for my life, I became your servant. Your wings, you called me. You sent me to the castle, where I found King Henry to be dead, and Stefan... as his successor."

"Stefan took my wings so he could be king?" Maleficent said, shocked. But Stefan - the boy she knew would never do that. But the looks on Robin, Aurora, and Diaval's faces told her otherwise.

"In retaliation, you became Queen of the Moors," Diaval said.

"Queen? But there had been no queen. I took power of the Moors?"

Diaval nodded sadly. "Yes."

"That's why so many creatures in the Moors are so cautious of me," Maleficent muttered. No one denied it.

"If it helps, you were a good queen. You took care of and protected the Moors," said Robin quietly as he flew over to Maleficent, landing on her shoulder.

Maleficent shrugged, causing Robin to sway. Helping the Moors was what she had always done, but without a queen's title.

Diaval hesitated before continuing. "Months later came the news… King Stefan had… had a child," Diaval said. "There was a christening, to which you came."

"I was invited?" Maleficent scoffed, raising her eyebrows. Why would Stefan invite her to his child's christening if he had betrayed her, if she hated him? Diaval shook his head.

"No, actually. You, um, weren't invited, but you came, and, um…you…" Diaval scratched at his skin, his eyes traveling around the room.

"I what?"

"You cursed his child, as revenge," said Diaval rather quickly. Maleficent hadn't thought she could feel any more awful, but her heart, which had been sinking, jumped into her throat. For a moment, she couldn't breathe.

"What? But that's… horrible," Maleficent choked out. "I would never do that, I wouldn't! Who could be that terrible to curse an innocent baby?"

"What Stefan did to you was unspeakable betrayal, you weren't - " Aurora tried to say, but Maleficent interrupted.

"No! No, what I did was unforgivable - evil - I was evil," Maleficent gasped. It hurt. She had grown up to become someone very, very wicked.

"Maleficent, love, you weren't evil, you were hurt," Robin tried to say. Maleficent hastily shook her head as she began to pace, her hands trembling.

"No - no, I would never, ever - I couldn't - " Maleficent's eyes brimmed with tears, and she turned back to her friends. "I cursed a baby. I really cursed a baby?"

For a second, Maleficent hoped that one of her three friends would shake their head, say that for some absurd reason, they were lying. But they didn't.

Maleficent couldn't think of anything to say or do, except move on. Inhaling shakily, she asked "Just… what happened next?"

"King Stefan sent his child away, hoping to protect her," Aurora said.

"What was the curse?"

"Before the sun set on her sixteenth birthday, she would prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel, and fall into a death-like sleep," Diaval recited. "Stefan begged for mercy, and you said the only way for his daughter to be awoken was by True Love's Kiss."

"So the princess wasn't doomed?" Maleficent perked up, relieved.

"No, she wasn't. You and Stefan both thought she was, because neither of you believed in true love anymore."

"Oh." That was depressing. Well, really, the entire conversation was quite depressing. It felt so surreal, too. Maleficent couldn't imagine any of this really happening, but she knew her friends were telling the truth. She trusted them.

"The princess," Aurora continued, "was sent away from the castle. She was raised by three… aunties. However, they were perhaps not the best suited for the job." For some reason, Aurora gave a watery chuckle.

"They knew nothing about raising a child," Diaval said. "She would have actually starved to death if you hadn't sent me with food."

Some of Maleficent's pain lessened. So she hadn't been completely horrid. She had cared enough to help the child.

"Over the years, you watched over the girl from the shadows, helping her to stay safe. You claimed you were protecting her so that you could watch your curse unfold on her sixteenth birthday. But I knew that you were slowly growing to care for the princess," Diaval said. "The princess was nothing like her father. She loved and respected nature. She was actually quite a bit like you are now. And she was curious. There was a great thorn wall grown outside the Moors, not too far from the cottage she lived in."

"A thorn wall?" Maleficent asked, confused. "I've never seen anything like that by the Moors."

"You grew it, to keep Stefan's people out," Diaval sighed. "They attacked it many times, hoping to breach it and kill you. But they never managed. On one such occasion, the princess was there, exploring the Thorn Wall. To protect her, you put her to sleep and, well, brought her to the Moors. When she woke up, she was fascinated by what she saw around her. She met you for the first time, and you began to take her to the Moors every night."

"She had no idea I had cursed her?"

"She didn't know she had been cursed at all," Diaval said. "As you bonded with her, the princess's sixteenth birthday grew nearer. You tried to revoke the curse, but it - it wasn't possible."

"The princess," Aurora pitched in, "wished to live in the Moors with you, and you realized this would protect her from spinning wheels. So she decided she would leave her three aunties, and live in the Moors. While she was off practicing what she would say to her aunties, she met a handsome young man."

A fond, almost-dreamy smile overcame Aurora's face. "They were instantly smitten with one another. Diaval thought that the man might be able to awaken m - the princess. But you didn't believe it, until the princess learned of her curse and who had cast it. She was - angry and hurt for the first time, and she made a big mistake. She ran away from the Moors, to the castle. There she was recognized as the princess, and immediately locked in her room."

"Why?" Maleficent asked, frowning. She thought a princess might receive a better welcoming.

"She had come back a day too soon. The curse could be fulfilled. You tried to save her, stop her before it was too late, but she pricked her finger on the spindle, and fell asleep."

"Forever?" Maleficent whispered, a chill running down her spine. It was bad enough thinking that somewhere in the castle, there could be a maiden trapped in a sleeping enchantment. Worse still was that it was the enchantment she had inflicted on the princess.

"No. The young man tried to awaken the princess with True Love's Kiss. But they didn't know each other well enough to be in love." Maleficent's mouth fell open. So the princess hadn't been - no, Aurora said she had been awoken. But then, how.… "You thought you had lost the princess forever. In farewell, you kissed her forehead, promising to protect her as she slept. And the princess woke up."

"She did?" Maleficent said, blinking in astonishment. "But how?"

"The love between a mother and a daughter is just as true as any," Robin said. Maleficent turned her head, and he smiled affectionately at her. She offered a slightly weaker smile in return.

"I - I'm glad the princess is alright," Maleficent said. "Where is she now? And how did I get my wings back?"

"Well, after the princess awoke, she, Diaval, and you set off to the Moors. But you were attacked in the castle," Aurora continued. She shivered, and her fingers clutched a bit of her dress. "You turned Diaval into a dragon, and told the princess to run. She did, and she - she would have regretted it the rest of her life if she hadn't found a big glass case with a pair of wings in it. She pushed it over, and when it smashed, your wings flew back to you. You were able to fight off the soldiers, and return home safely."

Aurora paused, and glanced at Diaval before carrying on. "You took down the Thorn Wall, and you - you gave your crown to - "

"To you," Maleficent finished slowly. Something clicked in her head. "You're the princess!"

A moment of silence, and then Aurora whispered, "I am."

"I cursed you." Maleficent couldn't believe it. No, no, she had not cursed Aurora, because only a monster could curse someone as sweet and loving and wonderful as Aurora, and Maleficent was not a monster, she wasn't -

"You couldn't have known that Aurora would grow up to be who she became," Robin said softly. "You were hurt, you - "

"No," Maleficent said forcefully, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter why I did it. I cursed a child, how could I - Aurora, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean - I couldn't - "

Aurora came over and hugged Maleficent again. Maleficent refused to let herself cry. She shouldn't be crying, Aurora should be, because she had been cursed by Maleficent….

"It's alright. It's in the past, and all is forgiven," Aurora soothed. Maleficent hugged Aurora back, still feeling bad. She didn't deserve Aurora's forgiveness. Aurora had never been anything but nice to her, ever since the day they met. Maleficent remembered their first conversation, how even then she had known that Aurora was good and kind and -

_"You were raised by the pixies?" Maleficent blurted out incredulously, arching her eyebrows._

_"Excuse me!" complained Knotgrass, her face coloring. "Don't sound so surprised!"_

_Deciding it wasn't worth it to point out every reason she had to be surprised, Maleficent apologized, then asked Aurora, "Why were you raised by them?"_

_The pixies and Diaval stiffened, and Aurora threw Diaval a suddenly worried look. "Um, my parents… are dead."_

_"I'm sorry. Mine are, too," said Maleficent._

"You said your parents were dead. When we first meet, you said your parents were dead."

Aurora tensed, and Maleficent's arms fell to her side as she took a step back. Robin flew off her shoulder, his expression worried and sympathetic. It wasn't true, it could be true...

Once, when Maleficent was young, she had tried to go swimming. Now, faeries didn't swim very often - there was a reason they were faeries and not fish. But it had been a hot day, and Maleficent wanted to cool down. So she went to a pond and tried to swim.

After an awful lot of thrashing her wings and several unwanted mouthfuls of water, Maleficent was able to stay afloat. She went out a little further, and a bit further, and then she was in the middle of the pond. She drifted on top of the water peacefully, enjoying the cool water. She closed her eyes and leaned back her head.

The next thing she knew, she was sinking down in the water. She panicked, and tried to return to the surface. But her waterlogged wings dragged her down. She flapped them hard and kicked and flailed, and finally managed to break free. She never swam again, but she always remembered sinking through the water, her wings useless, and terror coursing through her lungs instead of air. That was how Maleficent felt now, waiting to hear of Stefan's fate. Her head was spinning - she couldn't process all that she had been told, and it seemed impossible to absorb one more bit of information, but she had to find out what happened to Stefan.

"Aurora?" Maleficent said, looking up at the young Queen. "What happened to Stefan?"

"Stefan - he - he would not stop fighting. He was absolutely _obsessed_ with killing you, and in trying to take your life, he - " Aurora stopped, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Maleficent, but the boy you know - that wasn't him."

Maleficent wasn't sinking through water anymore. She was uncontrollably falling through the clouds, down, down, down, to a ground she couldn't see. She took a shaky breath, her eyes tearing up. Aurora tried to hold her close again, but Maleficent stumbled away. She had to get away, go back to the Moors, away from this castle of curses and darkness.

Startled servants backed out of the way as Maleficent ran down the hallways, tears blinding her. Aurora, Diaval, and Robin must have realized she needed space and time, because they didn't chase after her.

_Stefan is dead._

Maleficent couldn't find the entryway.

_Stefan is dead._

Perhaps she could escape from the garden.

_Stefan is dead._

Maybe she should jump out of a window.

_Stefan is dead._

Maleficent yanked a door open and thundered up a flight of stairs, tripping several times. She found herself at the top of a tower, and took off. Maleficent's wings pumped as hard as they could go, but she couldn't escape her new knowledge.

_Stefan is dead._

...

Greetings, Malefifreaks. Sorry this took so long to get out. To be honest, I had trouble writing it. Once I had, I spent ages editing it because I felt like Aurora and Diaval were a bit out of character. So here's my question for you guys- **do you think Diaval and Aurora were in character?** Not just in this chapter - how well have I kept them in character throughout this entire story? If they weren't in character, what made them feel off to you? Any suggestions on how to right my errors in their portrayal?

Thanks for reading! Please review. Constructive criticism and random jokes welcome!

Kitty


	12. Chapter 12

Diaval followed Maleficent back to the Moors, hoping that in her grief she wouldn't do anything too rash. He felt so guilty that he had ruined her happiness like this, but she had wanted to know. At least the worst was over with.

Maleficent spent the afternoon in her tree. Diaval took a perch not too far away, his raven eyes trained on the Rowan Tree. Around sunset, Aurora and Robin arrived. For a moment, Diaval worried that if Aurora spent the night in the Moors, she would miss her meeting with the Council. However, he really couldn't care less about the Council, as long as they didn't give Aurora a hard time.

"Maleficent?" Aurora called softly. "May I come up?"

"Yes."

Aurora climbed up the tree, and with a soft caw, Diaval followed her into the nest. Maleficent sat on the other side of the nest, her knees pulled to her chest.

"Maleficent, I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?" Aurora asked quietly as she sat down next to Maleficent. Maleficent shook her head.

"I'm so sorry," Maleficent whispered. "I know I was upset, but that doesn't mean I had any right to curse you. You hadn't done anything to me, but I cursed you. Because of me, you - you never knew your parents. Instead of growing up in a castle, you grew up in a cottage with _Knotgrass, Flittle, and Thistlewit_, and - "

"And I couldn't have asked for a better upbringing," Aurora interrupted gently. Maleficent looked at her in confusion. "If I had grown up in the castle, I wouldn't be the person I am today. Maybe the pixies weren't the most competent parents, but they did their job well enough. I grew up surrounded by nature instead of stone walls. If you hadn't cursed me, I wouldn't be Queen of the Moors, there would be no peace between the humans and the Fair Folk, and I would not have an amazing Godmother."

The relief on Maleficent's face was contagious. As Diaval turned into a human, he decided that Maleficent would be alright after all. She was strong. The question, "_What happens next?_" popped into his mind, but he knew he could only wait to find out.

"Thank you," Maleficent said, reaching out and embracing Aurora.

"We're sorry for not having told you earlier," Diaval said.

"We didn't mean any harm," added Robin.

"Don't be sorry," Maleficent said. "I know you were just trying to protect me. Thank you for that, and for eventually telling me."

"We'll always be here for you, lass," Robin said, landing on her shoulder, "and we'll always love you no matter what."

Maleficent smiled. "Thank you." She looked to Aurora. "Are you staying here tonight?"

"Of course," Aurora nodded.

"But what about tomorrow? Don't you have to be back at the castle in the morning?"

"If I leave early enough, I will be," Aurora said. "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

…

Someone shifted on Diaval's left, and he opened his eyes. Aurora was sitting up, her golden hair glinting in the early morning light.

"Good morning, Aurora," Diaval whispered as so to not wake Robin and Maleficent.

"Good morning," said Aurora, smiling at him.

"Did Maleficent have any nightmares?" Diaval asked, nodding his head to the faerie who had been pressed against Aurora's side, her wings curling around the both of them.

"Nightmares? I don't think so," Aurora said. "Has she been having nightmares?"

It seemed no one had brought up the subject of Maleficent's nightmares with Aurora. "She did have a few. That's how she found out about her wings."

"I think she slept soundly last night. If she did have a bad dream, she didn't wake me, and I'm not a heavy sleeper."

"Well, that's good that she can have a little peace," Diaval said softly.

"She'll be alright," Aurora said. "Won't she?"

"Of course," Diaval answered. Maleficent would be alright, even if she didn't act the same. Diaval hoped that whatever change the knowledge of her life had wrought on young Maleficent, it wouldn't be too hard on the little faerie.

"I best be on my way," Aurora said sadly. "But I'll be back the moment I can manage it."

"Well, good luck with the Council. They can be a handful, can't they?"

"Oh, yes," Aurora said, standing up. "Tell Maleficent I say hi."

"Okay, I'll pass the message on," said another voice. Diaval looked over at Maleficent, who opened her eyes and grinned at Aurora.

"Oh! Good morning, Maleficent," Aurora replied. "I didn't know you were up."

"Good morning to you, too, Beastie," Maleficent said cheerfully. Aurora blinked, taken aback, and Maleficent frowned. "Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to call you that, it just popped out…."

"No, no, it's alright, that's just - you've called me that for as long as I remember," Aurora said.

"Oh, right, I remember now. You told me I used to call you that." Maleficent's eyes clouded as she perhaps recalled the previous day's events.

"You know," Diaval said, hoping to distract Maleficent from less than happy thoughts, "Aurora's called me 'pretty bird' before. You can feel free to call me that, too."

"Mm, no thanks," Maleficent said, pushing herself up.

"What? Are you denying that I am a beautiful bird?"

"Don't you mean incredibly vain?" Maleficent jested. There was a small, sleepy chortle, and Robin sat up.

"Nice one, lass," he said. Diaval looked to Aurora pleadingly.

"Tell her that I am a very pretty bird!"

"Yes, you're absolutely charming," Aurora assured him, a sparkle in her eyes.

"Didn't we have this conversation before?" Maleficent asked.

"About my gorgeousness? Most likely." Diaval grinned, unable to help himself from adding, "You do bring up the subject all the time."

"Ew, Diaval!" Maleficent's face twisted itself into a look of disgust, but she was laughing. "I meant, haven't we discussed your _vanity _before?"

"I am not vain. There is nothing wrong with telling the truth, and the truth is that I am a beautiful bird."

"You're vain," Robin said as he lifted up into the air. Diaval pouted as Aurora suppressed a laugh. Maleficent didn't bother attempting to hide her amusement.

"I hope to see you all soon," Aurora said as she began to back out of the nest. "If you want to talk, you know where to find me."

"Do you want me to walk with you to the palace?" Maleficent offered. Aurora smiled.

"That would be wonderful, if you don't mind keeping me company," Aurora said.

"Of course not!" Maleficent said, following Aurora out of the tree. "I'll be back soon, Diaval, Robin."

"May I come with?" Diaval asked, wanting to keep a close eye on Maleficent. If she needed to ask any questions about her past - future? - or if she just felt like talking about it, Diaval wanted to be there for her.

"Yes, of course," Maleficent nodded.

The walk to the castle was uneventful. Maleficent was cheerful and talkative. However, she fell into silence when they neared the castle. After Aurora had bid them good-bye and disappeared in the stone walls, Diaval asked Maleficent if she was alright.

"I'm fine," she said, waving a hand in dismissal. She spread her wings and took off into the sky, giving Diaval a moment to transform and catch up, along with Robin. Together, they soared through the clouds. Diaval crowed happily - he hadn't flown like this in what felt like ages. Diving through the air, wind rushing through his feathers, and no distinct destination. His worries for Maleficent were left on the ground while he flew in the sky.

That is, until it suddenly occurred to Diaval that Maleficent may no longer be satisfied being as she was. He began to fret, but it was so amazing to fly once more… Maleficent gave a delighted cry as she spun through a cloud, popping out on top. Robin followed her, and Diaval cawed as he did a short series of rolls. He settled for waiting to land before acknowledging Maleficent's situation.

Too soon, Maleficent began to head in the direction of the Rowan Tree. Diaval followed her, wondering why she was already going home. They had been having such a nice time, and it was a perfect day to fly…. But of course, the previous day's conversation must be haunting her.

"That was a nice flight," Maleficent said once she had landed.

"Aye. It's a lovely day today, lass. Perfect weather for pulling a few pranks," Robin said, clapping his hands and rubbing them together. "It's been too quiet around here lately. I daresay the other faeries will get used to it soon enough, and we can't have that."

"No," Maleficent agreed, "but I would actually like to take a look at the spell I used."

Maleficent looked up at Diaval, who came down from his branch above her. "You want to see the scroll?" Diaval said once he was human, feeling a prickle of dread. He suddenly regretted having told Maleficent about Stefan's betrayal, and the curse.

"Yes, do you have it?"

Diaval nodded warily and retrieved the scroll from a small hollow in the tree he had stored it in. Maleficent looked over it, her brow furrowing slightly. "I recognize a few of the words. There's something about the sun, and something being mine. But Katherine can read this."

"Maleficent…."

Maleficent's head snapped up, worry clouding her eyes. Robin shot Diaval a look, and Diaval's heart skipped - he shouldn't have begun to approach this subject, but she was bound to find out sometime.

"What? What is it?" Maleficent asked.

Sighing, Diaval admitted, "Katherine and Lydia left the Moors."

For a moment, Maleficent was stunned. "Oh," she finally said, looking crestfallen. "That's why you didn't want me asking Katherine for help." She sighed. "Why did she leave? When?"

"Years ago," Robin sighed. "I don't know where they are now. I'm sorry, lass."

Silent, Maleficent sat down, her head bowed. Diaval sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Maleficent leaned into his side and asked, "Anything else I need to know?"

Diaval thought for a moment before saying, "I can't think of anything else." He sighed. "I'm sorry, I know this is really hard."

Maleficent shrugged. "It's not your fault. You're just telling me everything that I've forgotten." She shook her head. "I can hardly believe or even comprehend half of what you've told me. It seems so impossible that - you know. Stefan would betray me, and I would turn so evil…."

"You weren't evil. You did evil things, yes, but you weren't evil," Diaval said.

"That's an arguable theory, Diaval."

"I side with Diaval, and I'm sure so would Aurora if she were here. So it's three against one. Diaval's theory wins," Robin said.

"That's right," Diaval smirked. "Beautiful birds always win."

"That's an arguable theory, Diaval," Robin quipped, grinning at Diaval.

"I don't think so," said Diaval, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm on Robin's side, and Aurora would be, too, if she were here. So it's three against one. We win."

Diaval shook his head at Maleficent. "You two," he huffed. Maleficent grinned innocently at him.

"So, what do we do now? About the spell," she asked. The humour faded from Diaval's eyes, and he frowned.

"Well, we could go back to the castle and continue searching the library for a book that we can use to translate the spell, but I'm pretty certain there isn't anything there. Maybe we could find someone who knows the language," Diaval said.

"It wouldn't hurt to ask around, but I don't know of anyone around here who knows the language," Robin said.

"Maybe we could visit another kingdom, although I can't think of anywhere sorcerers might live," said Maleficent. She unrolled the scroll once more and examined it. Diaval studied the words from over her shoulder. "It says to think of the time you want to go to. I could try the spell, thinking of being a grown-up."

Diaval was instantly wary. Robin seemed to share his concerns as he asked, "Would it work that way? You wouldn't be traveling back in time."

"In a way, she would be. Maleficent doesn't remember being adult, but she has been. She would be returning to that stage," Diaval said begrudgingly. He wasn't too keen on the idea of Maleficent experimenting with the spell, but she looked so hopeful and proud to have come up with an idea.

"What if something goes wrong? I don't want you to get hurt," Robin worried.

"We'll never find anything out if we don't take some risks," Diaval said.

"I thought you would be on my side of this," Robin pouted, glaring half-heartedly at Diaval.

"The last I checked, it was the both of you against me. Although Maleficent seems to have left your side, haven't you?" Diaval said to Maleficent.

"Whatever it takes to turn back into an adult," she said. She stood up, her warmth leaving Diaval's side. The raven-turned-man's face flushed - until he, Aurora, and Robin had told her about Stefan's betrayal, Maleficent was perfectly content being young. Diaval felt like he had ruined something, stolen her happiness and innocence.

Diaval also pushed himself up as Maleficent held out her hands. He backed away, remembering the golden light and wind from the last time, as Maleficent stole another glance at the scroll and then began to recite the spell. Maleficent's hands began to glow with magic, and Diaval's heart jumped. A sudden impulse to protect Maleficent from more harm drove him to take a step in Maleficent's direction, but Robin muttered, "Calm down. It's Maleficent's choice." Reluctantly, Diaval stood still as Maleficent was hidden from his view. The golden light flared, and Diaval had to shield his eyes.

The breeze stopped tousling Diaval's hair, and he carefully lowered his hands from his eyelids, his heart pounding in anticipation. Maleficent's eyes were closed, and her palms were still stretched out in front of her.

"Am I older?"

"I'm afraid not," Diaval said, disappointed Maleficent wasn't returned to her normal state, but relieved that at least she was alright.

"Oh. Too bad," Maleficent sighed, opening her eyes. She reached down and picked up the scroll. "Do you think…."

"Do we think what?" Robin asked. "Do we think I'm exceptionally handsome? Of course! Why did you even have to ask?"

Maleficent laughed. "No, silly, that's not was I was going to ask. But it doesn't matter."

Over the years, Diaval had come to be able to read Maleficent in ways others could not. Maleficent guarded herself and built up stone walls others could not breach, but Diaval had learned to squint through the cracks and crevices and see what she was really thinking. Even though she was a child, the slight pursing of her lips made it obvious to Diaval that she was dissatisfied. She almost glared at the scroll, but the anger faded and gave way to worry. Did she think the spell had not worked because she was not powerful enough?

Diaval was about to assure her that this was nonsense. The spell simply didn't work as they had been hoping. It had nothing to do with Maleficent's power. He was about to comment on this when Robin said, "I don't suppose you feel any different?"

Maleficent thought for a moment. "Come to think of it... I'm hungry."

Robin chuckled. "Naturally."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Maleficent asked hotly, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows.

"Nothing, nothing at all, my dear," Robin said, still grinning. Maleficent shook her head in exasperation before dropping the scroll and taking off. Privately thinking that Robin always knew how to bring a little light into a dark situation, Diaval changed into a raven and made to follow Maleficent. But then Robin gave a shout.

Maleficent was frozen outside the Rowan Tree, suspended in midair by golden magic.

"The spell," Robin gasped. He and Diaval tried to rush to Maleficent's side, but when Robin got near, the golden magic threw him back. Diaval cawed in distress, but then the light faded, and Maleficent dropped to the ground.

It was probably a good thing Diaval was a raven. If he had been able to talk, he would have cursed himself and exposed Maleficent to some rather rude language. _I shouldn't have let her try that spell_, Diaval thought as he swooped to Maleficent's side and transformed.

At the same time, Maleficent groaned and started to sit up. For one bizarre moment, Diaval was sure she had miraculously reversed the spell, and was again adult.

"Maleficent, are you alright?" Diaval asked, helping her to sit up. It was then he realized her shoulders were much too small under his hand.

"Yes," Maleficent said. She looked up and met Diaval's gaze. "How do you know my name? Who are you?"

_Oh gods, not again_.

...

I believe my cliffhangers are improving. :D

Thanks for reading! Please review. Constructive criticism and random jokes welcome!

Kitty


	13. Chapter 13

Response to Niker's review: Holy crap, you literally read my mind... You'll see what I'm talking about by the end of the chapter. I love all your suggestions, they help me to get thinking about things I never would have considered before. Also, no, I have not dropped Katherine and Lydia. They've taken a back seat, but they're actually to return very soon. Thanks for being such a dedicated reader. :)

...

Maleficent's bright green eyes were curious and confused as she gazed up at Diaval. Diaval wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. For one thing, Maleficent was more adorable than ever, which was hilarious considering how stern Diaval had always known the faerie to be. But now, Maleficent was even younger than before, and Diaval would have to go through the process of explaining the spell and Maleficent's life all over again…. Or would he?

"I'm Diaval," he said after a moment. "I, uh, I've heard people call you Maleficent before…." Diaval felt unsure of how to approach the situation this time. Obviously, not admitting the truth of Maleficent's past hadn't worked out last time (Diaval stifled a groan - _last time?_ That was just sad). But Maleficent now looked too young to even know who Stefan was. Diaval wondered how Maleficent had become so young if she had been trying to become older. But that was a thought for later.

Maleficent looked around, frowning. "What - did I fall?" she asked Diaval. "I think I hit my head, because it's later…. It was just dawn, and now it's mid-morning, and I was in my nest…."

"Uh, yes," Diaval said. His stomach dropped at weaving more lies. He shouldn't be doing this. Maybe he could just really knock her unconscious until he found a way to reverse the spell, and… no… That was even worse. "You did fall, but you'll be fine."

Maleficent rubbed her head, a slight blush creeping up her cheeks. "Oh. Well, that's embarrassing. I wish I could control my wings better, but they're so big…."

"You'll get there, lass," Robin said, slowly flying to her side as he tried to keep shock out of his voice.

"I hope so," Maleficent said. Diaval took her small hand in his and helped her to stand. "Thank you, D-Diaval."

"You're welcome."

"Do you live in the Moors? I've never seen you here before," asked Maleficent. Diaval looked down at her, and a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips - she was so short.

"Yes, I do live in the Moors," Diaval said, and then he looked at a spot on Maleficent's shoulder. "But… we haven't met before." _Lies. Lies. Lies._ On the bright side, she wasn't upset about the previous day. On the downside, she couldn't remember the previous day, or the day before that, or the day before that….

"Are you a faerie? You don't have any wings," Maleficent observed, a note of pity in her voice as she looked at Diaval's wingless back.

"No, no. I'm a raven, but I can change my form. I can be a human, a horse - my mistress has even threatened to turn me into a mealy worm," Diaval said.

"I don't think you'd make a very good mealy worm," Maleficent stated. Robin laughed as she continued, "I think you make a much better human."

"Thank you?"

"Can you turn into a faerie?"

Diaval scratched the back of his head. "You know, I've never tried to, but I would think I could."

"Alright," Maleficent nodded. "How long have you lived in the Moors?"

"Quite a few years."

"Did you know my parents?" Malefient asked eagerly, bouncing on the balls of her bare feet.

Diaval knew Maleficent's parents had died when she was just a baby. Maleficent looked so hopeful that Diaval may have known her parents, and it pained him to say, "I'm afraid I never had the honor."

Deflating slightly, Maleficent said, "Oh." She looked crestfallen for a moment, but then shook off her disappointment and asked, "Well, do you know Robin?"

"We've met," Robin said, raising his eyebrows at Diaval.

"Robin's one of my best friends," Maleficent said, smiling at the other faerie. Then she turned back to Diaval. "It was nice meeting you, Diaval."

"Where are you going?" Diaval asked Maleficent as she began to walk down the hill. He and Robin exchanged a glance before following her.

"I'm going to try to go for another flight," she explained, rustling her wings in anticipation.

"But you just fell."

Shrugging, Maleficent said, "Practice makes perfect. Besides, I don't feel hurt."

Should Diaval try to stop Maleficent and keep her safe in the Rowan Tree? This would keep other creatures of the Moors from getting wind that she had become younger again. If they knew, their shocked reactions would clue Maleficent in that something was amiss. Actually, Maleficent didn't even have to met someone. She just had to take a careful look around to see that Moors had "suddenly" changed.

"I think you should lie down, lass, take a nap," Robin said, but Maleficent's lips turned down in a pout.

"Rooobiiiiiiiin," she said. "I'll just go for a short flight, and then I'll rest. Okay?"

Before Robin could reply, Maleficent spread her wings and took off. She wobbled in the air, her too-big wings and horns throwing her off-balance. But Diaval knew she wouldn't give up on trying to fly, so he turned into a raven and followed Maleficent and Robin.

It was quite a sight seeing Maleficent struggle with her wings. Diaval couldn't recall a time before that his former mistress had ever _not _been graceful and elegant.

Robin attempted to help coach Maleficent, trying to push aside his own emotions and remember advice given years before. Maleficent pumped her wings, frowning as the weight of her horns dragged her head to the side. Diaval circled above them, noticing that while most of her troubles were due to her oversized wings and heavy horns, Maleficent strived to keep her upper body straight as she tried to find her center of balance. The result was she was as stiff as a board.

Cawing to attract her attention, Diaval swooped to the ground and transformed. Maleficent nearly landed on top of him, and she hastily apologized.

"It's fine," Diaval said, helping to steady the small faerie. "But I have a tip for you. I know it's hard, but try to relax a bit more everywhere but your stomach. Keep tension here," Diaval gently pressed his hand to Maleficent's stomach. He knew Maleficent generally didn't like being touched after what happened with Stefan, but she didn't react, "to remind yourself where your center is."

Maleficent nodded. She took back to the air, wrinkling her nose slightly as she always did when concentrating. Diaval watched as she put his advice to practice, and her face lit up when she noticed her improvement.

"Very good, lass!" Robin called to her.

"It worked! Thank you, Diaval!" she cried, grinning. Robin hurried over to Diaval and muttered his own relieved thanks before following Maleficent, who was picking up a bit of speed.

Once Diaval was back in the air and at Maleficent's side, Maleficent smiled at him. She reached out, touched his feathered back, and declared, "Tag, you're it!" before zipping away.

Diaval watched, confused, as the giggling child hurried away. What was she doing? What did "tag" mean? Maleficent looked over her shoulder, and her smile faded a bit. "Oh. Do you know how to play 'Tag?'" Diaval cawed and again landed, expecting Maleficent to explain "Tag" to him.

She did. Maleficent and Robin joined Diaval on the ground as he asked, "What's 'Tag?'"

"'Tag' is a game," Maleficent said. "It's easy, right, Robin?"

"Oh, yes," he agreed, nodding. "One person is 'It,' and they chase the other people. When 'It' tags someone, it becomes their turn to be 'It.'"

"That sounds simple enough," Diaval said. "So I'm 'It' now?"

"Yes," said Maleficent before jumping back into the air. "Come get me!"

"You better fly quickly!" Diaval teased before transforming.

The raven soared after the happy faerie. Flying after them, Robin shouted, "I'm playing, too!" Diaval immediately changed direction, and his new target hurried away. But a moment later Diaval swooped over him and gently tapped his head with one of his talons.

"I'll get you!" Robin said, laughing at Diaval, but Diaval was too quick for him. He caught up to Maleficent, who dodged him, thinking Diaval was 'It'. Her eyes widened when Robin landed on her shoulder, said, "Tag," and buzzed off.

The game continue, the trio eventually chasing themselves into a meadow. Diaval thought the game was rather similar to hunting. Except when he caught his prey, they took his place as "It" instead of becoming lunch. It was a little less fun when Diaval was the one being tagged. As it happens in hunting, an alliance seemed to have been formed. Robin and Maleficent kept tagging Diaval instead of each other. Diaval decided a little revenge was in order.

A plan was quickly spun into existence in Diaval's mind and he flew after Maleficent. But instead of just touching her, he turned into a human, midair, and grabbed her around the waist. Startled, Maleficent shrieked as he pulled her down into the tall grass. Her wings flapped in protest as she cried, "Hey! That's cheating!" But she couldn't help but giggle.

"No, I don't believe it is," Diaval smirked, setting her on the ground. "But maybe this is."

With that, Diaval began to tickle Maleficent. She toppled over, laughing wildly as she tried to avoid Diaval's attacks. "Diaval! Stop that!" Maleficent curled into a ball, swatting Diaval away. But he persisted, cackling.

Suddenly, Maleficent's hysterical laughs of amusement were cut off by a sharp gasp of pain. Diaval immediately stopped tickling her, his own joy giving way to concern. "Maleficent, are you alright?" Diaval asked. His only response was a groan. On his knees, he leaned over Maleficent and carefully rolled her onto her back. "Oh my gods."

All the color had left Maleficent's face, and her eyes were shut tight. Her wings slowly curled around her body and she inhaled shakily. Most worrisome was she seemed to beginning to glow gold. An outsider might have considered the color pretty, but after Maleficent's latest experiments, Diaval was only filled with horror at the sight.

"What did you do to her?" Robin demanded, his eyes wide with worry as he zipped to his young friend's side. "Maleficent, can you hear me?"

"I didn't do anything," Diaval muttered as he scooped Maleficent into his arms.

"It hurts," she moaned weakly, pressing her face into the front of Diaval's shirt.

"What hurts?" Diaval asked, trying to keep his voice level. Maleficent didn't respond, but the golden aura seemed to deepen.

"It's an effect of the time spell." The words came to Diaval's lips without any warning, but he knew at once they were true. "Robin, go get healing faeries. Now!"

Robin flew off as quickly as he could, leaving Diaval alone with the suffering Maleficent.

"This is my fault," Diaval murmured to Maleficent, but if she registered his words, she didn't reply. Or worse - maybe she _couldn't_. The thought brought wetness to Diaval's eyes. "I should have stopped you from trying the spell. Maleficent, I'm so, so sorry." He brought his voice down, although there were no ears nearby to overhear his words. "I love you."

Diaval had rarely heard those words spoken before. He personally had never found the right opportunity to say them until then. His family and friends knew he cared about them, and that had been all that mattered. But now Maleficent was hurt, and it was his fault, and she needed to know Diaval loved her. Maybe his love for her wasn't romantic, like Aurora and Phillip's feelings for one another. But Maleficent was his friend, and maybe his mate. No, not mate. But he was something of a godfather to Aurora, and if Maleficent was her godmother…. And in the past few days, the desire to protect Maleficent was the same fatherly feeling Diaval had for Aurora. It was complicated. But one thing Diaval was certain of, and it was that he definitely loved Maleficent. And in that meadow, with a small, wounded figure in his arms, he deeply regretted he had not said so sooner.

...

Malefifreaks.

I'm so sorry for not updating in a while. It's been, what, a week and half? I'm sorry, but my life's been pretty chaotic. Been helping a friend move, getting ready for school, my dance audition (I actually did a routine to Once Upon A Dream, and I think I did pretty great! Only I couldn't breathe at the beginning, hahaha. I was trembling so badly, I think the teachers saw. It's funny now, but I was nearing the verge of collapsing then)... And then I've got high school and dance coming up, so I don't know how that will effect my updates. I should be able to update at least once a week, I think. Guess we'll find out.

Thanks for sticking with me! Please review. Constructive criticism and random jokes welcome!

Kitty

P.S. Anyone catch that Divergent reference?


	14. Chapter 14

Lydia coldly observed the Rowan Tree. Maleficent and her friends were nowhere in sight, but that could change at any moment. Still, this was Lydia's best chance at sneaking into the Rowan Tree and stealing the scroll.

Silently, Lydia made her way to the Rowan Tree. Katherine followed meekly. She had become even more timid since Lydia had forced the truth out of her.

The truth. Lydia's lips curled upward at the thought. Who would have ever guessed her sister would have had the intelligence and courage to work against her? But no matter - Katherine knew better now. Lydia had seen to that.

Lydia climbed into the Rowan Tree with as much grace as she could manage. Her icy blue eyes scanned the nest, and Lydia smiled cruelly when she found what she was looking for. She walked over and picked up the scroll.

"I wonder," she mused, looking the parchment over, "how long it will take the little _beastie _to realize her spell is gone." Lydia smirked and turned to exit the tree. She and Katherine walked down the hill, triumph burning like a flame in Lydia's chest, bringing a flush to her cheeks.

A tiny creature appeared out of nowhere and zipped past Lydia. She flinched - for the first time since her exile, Lydia was walking through the Moors without having taken an Invisibility Potion. It was risky, but Lydia had to admit, her trust in her sister had been weakened when she learned Katherine had once plotted against her. But at any rate, the creature didn't seem to register her.

"Was that Robin?"

Lydia glanced over her shoulder at Katherine, who trembled in her sister's gaze. It was the first time in days Katherine had spoken.

"It could have been, if Maleficent had been with him," Lydia shrugged. The two faeries had been inseparable the past few days.

Katherine looked like she wanted to say something, but Lydia turned away. The two hiked on to the borders of the Moors, avoiding other creatures.

As the sisters walked by a meadow, a faint cry carried across the wind to them. Lydia paid it no attention until Katherine gasped.

"What?" Lydia asked, and she looked to Katherine. One of the girl's hands was covering her mouth as she gazed across the meadow. Lydia followed her eyes, and saw someone kneeling in the grass. She squinted, and realized it was Diaval. He wasn't alone. In his lap, recognizable by her wings and horns, was Maleficent. Oddly, she appeared to be glowing gold.

"What is going on?" murmured Lydia. Then she shook her head - it didn't matter. Until Lydia realized the gold light matched the magic of Katherine's spell. "Is that your time spell?"

"I don't know," Katherine said, her voice quivering.

Lydia ducked behind a tree, curious. She heard a moan from Maleficent, and it was music to her ears. She relished her enemy's suffering.

Katherine didn't seem to enjoy the scene as much as Lydia. She gave her own little moan as she watched Maleficent. Glancing at her pale face and wide eyes, Lydia decided it was time to go. Before something silly like past amity drove Katherine to try to help Maleficent. Lydia stalked away, assuming her sister would follow. She was at the edge of the forest when she realized Katherine was not behind her.

"Katherine," Lydia growled to herself as she scanned the area. Her eyes widened when she saw her sister was slowly approaching Diaval and Maleficent. Katherine seemed to sense Lydia's rage, and she glanced over at Lydia. She cringed, wringing her hands when her eyes met her sister's angry ones. But she was not to be distracted from her act of betrayal.

It didn't make sense. Katherine was too cowardly to betray Lydia. Yet there she was, walking right over to the enemy! "_Disgraceful_," Lydia thought, glaring at her sister. Her anger built and she muttered a spell. Next to her, a few innocent flowers caught fire. Lydia walked away to the other side of the meadow, getting closer to Diaval, Maleficent, and Katherine, but staying well in the shadows. Several sticks snapped under her feet, but Diaval and Maleficent were otherwise occupied, and did not notice.

Diaval was talking to Katherine. Lydia stepped behind a tree to eavesdrop.

"...are you?"

"Just a friend," Katherine said, her voice high and frightened.

"I've known Maleficent for years, but she's never mentioned a friendship with a ten year old human girl. Why are you in the Moors?"

"That's not important," Katherine said. "What happened to Maleficent?"

"Why is it any of your concern?" Diaval asked.

"Yes, Katherine, do tell," Lydia hissed to herself. Her fist clenched, crushing the scroll she held.

At that moment, Maleficent gave a shriek and began to cry weakly. Diaval's black eyes widened, and he grabbed Maleficent's hand.

"Maleficent, you're going to be alright, I promise," he soothed. He glanced up at Katherine, his eyes suspicious and calculating. Wondering if the girl truly could be of help.

"If you tell me what happened, I may be able to help her," Katherine said.

"You're a human, what could - "

"I'm not a human, I'm a sorceress," Katherine said.

"A sor -"

"Yes, and I can help Maleficent, just tell me what happened," insisted Katherine. "Please."

Behind her tree, Lydia was shaking with rage. Every ounce of her wanted to scream at Katherine, punish her for having the nerve to betray Lydia. She dug her nails into the bark of the tree she stood behind.

"Several days ago, she tried a spell to make herself younger. She turned eleven, and tried the spell again today. She meant to become older, but instead, she became maybe six years old. After half an hour or so later, she was flying, and I grabbed her and tickled her, and then she suddenly just started glowing and hurting, and I don't know what I did!" Diaval took a deep breath to steady himself and looked at Maleficent sadly. He tucked a dark lock of hair behind her pointed ear. Lydia crinkled her nose at the sickenly fluffy affection.

Katherine assessed the situation, looking down at Maleficent. Lydia could almost hear her thinking to herself.

"I don't think you did anything. Perhaps it was a side effect," she frowned. Some of the nervousness left her face, chased away by the urgency of the situation. Someone needed help, and Katherine's own emotions could wait.

Compassion. Disgusting.

"Nothing went wrong when she was eleven," Katherine continued. "So what changed?"

Lydia rolled her eyes. The pinhead could at least _try _to sound like she hadn't been spying on Maleficent for days.

"There was a list of directions with the spell, but it said nothing about side effects," said Diaval, shifting himself so Maleficent was more comfortable. She buried her head in his side, moaning.

"Maybe the spell was designed only to be used once," Katherine said. She kneeled next to Diaval and touched Maleficent's forehead. "I believe she had a fever."

Maleficent gave another shriek. "Robin!"

"Robin will be right back," Diaval assured her, rubbing her back. Maleficent writhed in his lap, sweat shining on her brow, and she gave a surprisingly strong howl.

"What do we do?" Diaval turned to Katherine, looking desperate. Katherine was silent, and Lydia smiled - Katherine had no idea what she was facing. But then she began to speak.

"The opposite of pain is comfort, correct?" Katherine said.

"Yes," Diaval said, grabbing hold to the idea. "Are you saying - "

"What's comforting to Maleficent?"

"The Moors - "

"Robin, Aurora, and you - "

"And her wings," Diaval finished. "So do we get Robin and Aurora? If they're here, she'll feel better?"

"Maybe," Katherine said, "but that's not exactly what I had in mind. We could put pieces of what comfort her - a Moors flower, a feather from you and a feather from her wings - in a potion."

"Alri - wait, how did you know I'm a raven?" Diaval asked, narrowing his eyes. Katherine blushed.

"Oh - I'm a sorceress, remember?" Katherine stammered. Diaval opened his mouth again, but Katherine cut across him. "I could brew a potion compromised of things that comfort Maleficent, combined with Healing Azar," she continued. "Healing Azar is a magical flower that comes in bloom when it is set on fire. It wilts shortly after the fire burns out, but if it can be brewed in a potion before that happens, it will stop illnesses from progressing. I could alter its target to the spell."

Lydia could see Diaval was impressed. Katherine only looked ten, but was obviously well educated. Lydia wondered where her sister had learned about Healing Azar (she would never admit it, but Lydia hadn't even heard of Healing Azar until then). Probably Katherine had read about it in one of her books.

"Where can I find Healing Azar? Is it rare? I've never heard of a flower like that."

Pointing in the distance, Katherine said, "It grows at the top of the mountain, as close to the sun as possible. I've seen - ow!"

Maleficent had whacked Katherine in the side with her horn, crying out. Lydia thought the gold aura had brightened, but that could be her eyes playing tricks on her. Or not, because Diaval froze in evident horror.

"Is she…."

"What?" asked Katherine, concern lacing her voice.

"Did Maleficent get bigger?"

"I don't think so," Katherine said, furrowing her eyebrows as she looked over Maleficent.

Diaval shakily inhaled. "What does Healing Azar look like? How many flowers do you need?"

"Healing Azar, when not in bloom, is a tall flower with an orange bud," Katherine said. "It looks unremarkable until you light it on fire. But there aren't many flowers you can mistake it for. When you find it, dig up four of the flowers by their roots. You'll bring them back here, and we'll have to plant them in the ground again. Then we would light them on fire, cut the stem, and put it in the potion."

"I'm going to get the flowers," Diaval said, determination glinting in his eyes. "I'll leave once Robin gets back. Or do you think we should bring her home? I was worried about moving her, but maybe she would be more comfortable at home."

"No, I would avoid moving her," Katherine said. "But I would also leave as soon as possible. You go get the flowers, and I will stay with Maleficent."

Diaval shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't leave her with someone I don't know."

"I'm trying to help her!"

Diaval looked at Katherine a moment before saying, "Right, sorry."

Sighing, Katherine said, "No, it's fine. I would be wary if I were you, too. But to show you that you can trust me, here." Katherine reached up and tugged a string out of the front of her dress. Lydia blinked as she recognized the necklace. It had a flower on it, preserved by magic. It had once been Lydia's mother's. Lydia had forgotten Katherine even had it.

Katherine closed her eyes and began to murmur under her breath. It was several minutes before anything happened. The necklace suddenly flashed white, and a replica sat in Katherine's hand. Katherine looked relieved that the spell had worked as she handed the copy over to Diaval.

"The necklaces are connected," Katherine explained. "When you say _Congregamini_, your necklace will aim to reunite with its twin, guiding you to me. Not that I would, but if I did do something to Maleficent, you would have the power to track me down."

"_Congregamini_," Diaval repeated, and the necklace flew out of his hand. She gasped as it reconnected with her necklace. "Sorry!"

"It's fine," Katherine said. She did the spell again, and it took a moment for it to work. She gave Diaval the new copy.

"Thank you," he said. Diaval stoked Maleficent's hair, leaned down, and whispered something in his ear.

"No..." Maleficent whimpered as Diaval gently picked her up off his lap and laid her on the ground. "Don't go…."

"I'll be right back, I promise," Diaval said. Sadness and pain were etched on his face, and it looked like it physically hurt him to stand up and prepare to leave.

"She's in good hands," Katherine assured him. "Go get the flowers, and come back as soon as possible."

"Of course," Diaval said, and he transformed. Lydia watched the raven fly away, the necklace in his talons, before striding out of the shadows and storming over to Katherine.

"What do you think you are _doing_?" Lydia shouted. The blood from Katherine's face drained, but she didn't move from Maleficent's side.

"I can't let her suffer because of my spell," Katherine said quietly. Her eyes flickered down to Maleficent, and Katherine scooted a bit closer to her, almost as though she were protecting her from Lydia.

"Yes, you can, and you will!"

"Lydia - "

"TRAITOR!" Lydia screamed, pointing at Katherine. Katherine flinched. "After all these years, you betray me! For her!"

"Please, Lydia! You were friends, why do you hate her so much now?"

Lydia felt her rage rise inside of her, and it was unleashed in a spell that knocked Katherine over.

"We are going back to the castle, and that is the end of that," Lydia hissed, walking over to Katherine and pulling her to her feet. But Katherine recoiled.

"Lydia, Diaval - he - "

It clicked. When Katherine had given Diaval the necklace, she had armed herself against Lydia. If Lydia took Katherine away, Diaval could still find her. The necklaces would reconnect.

"Take off the necklace. Now!" Lydia ordered. For a moment, Katherine stood still, swaying slightly. Then she gave a very tiny shake of her head.

Lydia was silent. Hatred and rage seemed to be pulsing in her very veins, turning her face an unpleasant red. Then, forcing calm into her voice, Lydia said, "Very well, then. I have no further use for you."

Katherine gave a strangled scream, and fell to her knees. Lydia raised her head. The dead told no secrets.

"Sister, please…."

She was begging for her life. Pathetic, Lydia thought. But it bought Katherine a second, and that was all she needed.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

Lydia's head snapped up, and she said something very unladylike. Robin and a few other faeries were approaching. "_Turbare_," she growled, sending a spell their way. But the faeries easily dodged the magic.

"_Now is the time. Kill them all_," Lydia thought. She aimed at Maleficent. "_Occ_ - "

"No! _Contego_!"

Lydia felt herself being flung back by Katherine's spell. She gave a shout of rage and leapt to her feet again. She shot another spell at the nearing faeries, but didn't wait to see what damage it caused. She lunged at her sister and locked her hands around Katherine's throat.

"I should have done this - " Lydia began to say, but she cut herself off with a growl. The faeries were peppering her with their pitiful little forest spells, shouting. But Lydia didn't let go, not even when her dark hair was turned to grass. But a roar sounding through the meadow caught her attention. She looked up to see two Tree Warriors running to her. It was time to leave.

Throwing Katherine away, Lydia aimed at Maleficent and cried, "_Occides!_"

Her spell shot toward Maleficent. There were panicked cries from the faeries, and Lydia grinned wickedly at their despair. But her smile slid off her face when the gold aura around Maleficent gave a bright flash, and Lydia's own curse was thrown back at her.

Lydia only just managed to avoid the spell. She gave a shout of rage and frustration - her time had come and gone. She turned to run, but the Tree Warriors had caught up to her. One grabbed her, and lifted her off the ground. Lydia twisted around in his grasp and managed to burn his arm. He dropped her, and she shot off like a scalded cat.

The Tree Warriors stopped chasing her once she was past the boundaries of the Moors, but Lydia didn't stop running for a long time. She didn't paid attention to direction, and she was almost halfway to the human before she finally fell. She gasped for breath, coughing as her heart rate gradually slowed down. She put her fingers to her head, and scowled at the grass that replaced her hair. She would try to find a remedy when she got back to the castle.

Lydia stood up, and set off in the direction of the abandoned castle. She was filled with anger at when she thought of Katherine, and but brushed it away after vowing to kill her sister with Maleficent.

...

Meh. I didn't like this chapter much - Lydia ended up being a little crazier than I wanted. I meant to post this last night, but I ended up watching C**aptain America: The First Avenger** for the first time. Have any of you guys seen that? What did you think? I thought it was fantastic, but I like** Iron Man** a bit more. Tony is just hilarious, even though he can be a bit of a jerk sometimes.

Well, thanks for reading. Please review! Constructive criticism welcomed.

Kitty


	15. Chapter 15

Diaval flapped his wings as hard as they would go, ignoring his pain and exhaustion. He soared through the sky, but his thoughts remained in that meadow, with Maleficent and the sorceress. Gods, Diaval hadn't even caught the child's name. She was a remarkable girl, but she was very mysterious, which made Diaval a little nervous. But he still had her necklace swinging in his talons, and they both knew the girl couldn't try anything without Diaval coming after her.

The air grew cold and thin, snowflakes dancing in the wind. Diaval wondered why a fire-loving flower would grow in such a climate. The sorceress said it was so the flowers could be closer to the sun, but it was _so cold_. But Diaval was nearing the peak of the mountain. Despite the circumstances, he felt a little rush of excitement - he had never been so high before. Diaval didn't have time to enjoy his achievement, though. He set straight to work looking for the flowers the sorceress had described.

Before long, Diaval became ridiculously cold. He wondered how the flowers could be growing in all that snow he saw below him. Perhaps they were buried under the snow. That would be horrible - how would he be able to locate the flowers then? It would take a long time, but certainly Diaval would succeed. He would not leave this mountain without the help for Maleficent.

If Diaval had blinked, maybe he would have missed the flash of color below him. Hope warmed his chest as he circled around in the air, lowering himself to the ground. An orange bud peeked out of the snow. Now that he was closer, Diaval could see several other flowers nearby, a white dusting of snow helping them to blend in. It was astonishing how they could survive the cold. It was probably a part of their magic.

Diaval dipped down and transformed into a man. His boots sank into the snow, the sorceress' necklace dropping next to his feet. He fell to his knees next to the Healing Azar and began to paw at the snow around its stem.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

Startled, Diaval looked up. A young woman was walking through the whirling snow, her long red hair flowing behind her. Worry grabbed Diaval's heart and squeezed it as he asked, "Do what?"

"You may not take the flower," the woman said as she stopped before Diaval. He noticed she had an unfamiliar accent. He stood up to meet her.

"Who are you?"

"I am their guardian," the woman said, gesturing to the flowers. Now that she was in front of him, Diaval realized her hair was more of a red-orange, almost the color of Healing Azar. Her eyes were sharp blue, like shards of ice. But they weren't cold. They expressed loneliness. "And you are?"

"I am Diaval of the Moors," he said, giving a small bow. "I didn't know the flowers were guarded."

"I protect them from the humans," the Guardian said.

"'Protect?'"

"These flowers are desired by the humans. They pick them - not for their healing abilities, but because they believe the flowers will bring them luck in battle. I cannot let foolish men waste the precious lives of these flowers. They are all I have left - they are my legacy." The Guardian looked at Diaval, cocking her head slightly. "But you aren't a man, are you?"

"I am a raven, turned shape-shifter by my mistress," Diaval said. "She turned me into a man to save me, and in return for my life, I became her servant. I s-served her for many years before she released me. But I stay by her s-side as her c-companion." Diaval was irritated that his teeth had started chattering. He didn't want to show any weakness in front of this woman, not when he hoped to persuade her into giving up a few of her flowers. "She recently t-tried a spell she thou-thought would send her back in time, but i-it only m-made her younger. Sh-she tried the spell again today, t-trying to reverse its effects, but i-it didn't work. She f-feel ill, and I was t-told that H-Healing Azar flowers in a p-p-potion would h-help her."

The Guardian observed him for a moment, and Diaval tried to stop shivering. Then she flicked her fingers, and a little circle of flames erupted around the flower. Diaval jumped back, shocked. She smiled. "Don't worry, Diaval, I won't hurt you. Just stay warm, and could you tell me more about your mistress? What is her name?"

"Th-thank you," Diaval said, gratefully stepping back to the fire. It instantly warmed him. "My mistress' name is Maleficent. She is a very powerful faerie, and one of the best people I know, despite her flaws. When I was just a bird, I was captured by farmers. They would have beaten me to death if Maleficent hadn't interfered and turned me into a man. I became her servant, but she called me her wings. Her own wings had been stolen by a man she had once thought herself to be in love with."

Diaval continued to tell Maleficent's story. The Guardian nodded and asked a few questions, but was otherwise quiet, drinking in the information. When Diaval finished talking, she stared into the perfect ring of flowers crackling around the Healing Azar. Diaval took her silence as an opportunity to decide his opinion of her. She seemed nice, but he currently felt a little wary to magical creatures who avoided telling their names. He wasn't sure if she would let Diaval take the flowers for Maleficent. Diaval wouldn't let himself think of what could happen to the faerie if the Guardian sent him home empty-handed.

"Well," the Guardian said after a minute, "Maleficent sounds like she's a very important person to you."

Diaval nodded. "Of course. She and Aurora are just about my entire world. I don't know what I would do if they were to - to leave me." Diaval shivered again, but not from the cold.

The Guardian gave a small smile. "I can see why. Its nice to know such kind people, isn't it? To love them with your entire being?"

"Yes," said Diaval. "Have you ever, well, do you ever leave this mountain?"

"No," the Guardian said, shaking her head. "I never have visitors, either, excluding those who come to take flowers." Diaval felt a little uncomfortable, and rubbed the back of his head. "I can't leave the flowers. It is my duty to protect them, and it is all I can do."

"You've never been off this mountain?" asked Diaval, amazed and shocked.

"I have. Long ago, I lived in a country far away. I had a family, friends, a lover. A different purpose. But then there was war, and my sister sent me here," the Guardian said sadly, gazing in the distance with glazed eyes as she remembered what must have been much happier times.

"To protect you?"

"Not exactly. But I believe we have different matters to discuss, Diaval," the Guardian said, looking back at him.

Slightly disappointed - he really did want to know more about this woman before him - Diaval nodded and said, "Yes."

"I will let you take the flowers you need," said the Guardian. "But take five, and plant one in the Moors. Healing Azar will thrive there."

"But I thought Healing Azar only grew on mountains," said Diaval, puzzled.

"No, Healing Azar lives most anywhere. But they were banished with me to this mountain," said the Guardian, sighing.

"Is there any other favors I can do for you?"

"That will be all. It will feel good to have one of these flowers, a little part of me, free of this cold mountain."

An idea struck Diaval. "What if we could move all the flowers to the Moors? You said you're supposed to watch over them. Couldn't you guard them somewhere else?"

The Guardian looked touched. "Thank you. It means a lot that someone would like me near. But the world is not ready for me."

"What does that mean?"

"I would explain, but you must hurry back to Maleficent," the Guardian said. She stretched her hand over the flames surrounding the flower. They jumped as several other rings appeared behind the woman. Diaval watched as the flames ate through the snow - he hadn't noticed before that the heat didn't melt the snow, not until the Guardian seemed to want it to. She was obviously very powerful if she had such control over the elements.

In a minute, five orange flowers sat in small circles of dirt. The flower between Diaval and the guardian pulled itself out of the ground, its roots tangling with each other. Four other flowers mimicked its actions, and floated over to the Guardian. She caught them and handed them to Diaval.

"Thank you," Diaval said, bowing again. "I cannot express how grateful I am." He reached down and picked up the necklace the sorceress had given him. "I want you to have this, so when the world is ready for you, you can find me."

"Is this the necklace the sorceress gave you?" the Guardian said, her voice breathy. "You can't give this to me, you must keep it, so you can find her if anything goes wrong."

"I don't think it will," Diaval said, suddenly sure what he was saying was true. "Its the least I can do."

"Thank you, Diaval," the Guardian said, closing her fingers around the necklace. She stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Now go. Maleficent needs you."

"Thank you," Diaval said again. He transformed, the flowers in his talons.

He had just taken to the air when the guardian called. "Diaval?"

Diaval cawed and swooped around her. "Diaval, I just want to say - don't let - don't let anything come between you and Maleficent," the Guardian said, suddenly stumbling over her words. "What you two have - your love may not be romantic, but you're family, and you - don't let anyone or anything tear you apart. Never."

It was hard to tell, but Diaval thought the Guardian had started to cry. He wondered what she had lost, why she was alone on the mountain with only a few flowers and many stories to tell. He decided one day he would come back and then he would listen to what else she had to say. But for now, Diaval only cawed back to her, letting the Guardian know he understood her words and would obey them. Then he flew back home.

...

Hey Malefifreaks! Short chapter, but I gotta go to dance.

Please tell me me what you think! Constructive criticism and random jokes welcome.

Thanks for reading!

Kitty


	16. Chapter 16

By the time Diaval reached the Moors, it was nightfall. He went to the meadow, and swooped around, trying to find Maleficent and the sorceress. When it became obvious that Maleficent was missing, he actually fell out of the sky.

"Maleficent!" he screamed. He hadn't realized he had transformed. "Maleficent, where are you?!"

Diaval ran around the meadow, searching in the dim light from the dying sun for any signs of where the sorceress could have taken Maleficent. He paled when he found the site where Maleficent had been. It was heavily disturbed with grasses and flowers flattened. A few plants had actually shriveled up and died.

How could he have let this happen? Diaval should never have let Maleficent try the time spell, should never have allowed that strange child near Maleficent, should never have given the Guardian the copy of the sorceress' necklace. Maybe he should go back and beg the Guardian to give him the necklace back….

No. First, he would check the Moors. Someone must have seen something. Diaval shifted into a bird, grabbed the flowers again, and flew in the direction of the Rowan Tree.

Two Tree Warriors stood guard by the Rowan Tree. Had he been human, Diaval would have cried out in relief when he saw Maleficent in her nest. His happiness was short-lived, replaced by panic when he saw the faerie had aged several years, and judging by the bright golden aura that stood out in the dusk, was still at the mercy of the spell.

"There you are! Thank the gods," said Robin, rising from his spot by Maleficent's side. Diaval dropped the flowers and transformed into a man.

"Has she been like this all day?" Diaval asked, his voice trembling. He already knew the answer, of course, and it didn't make him feel any better when Robin confirmed that Maleficent's condition had been unchanged. He knelt next to Maleficent, wishing desperately he could take Maleficent's pain for himself, if it meant she would be alright.

"D-Diaval, you're b-back."

Diaval's head snapped up. The sorceress cringed when he locked his furious gaze on her.

"Why did you move her?" he said harshly. "I thought - "

"Diaval, they were attacked," Robin said gravely.

"What?" His heart dropped like a stone.

"Lydia attacked Katherine and Maleficent in the meadow. She tried to kill both of them, and would have succeeded had the Tree Warriors not arrived in time to chase her off," said Robin. Diaval gaped.

"Lydia? Katherine? Maleficent's friends when she was young? But you," he looked at the sorceress, Katherin, "you're not Maleficent's age."

It hit Diaval. "Wait. _You _made the time spell! You did this to Maleficent!"

"I didn't mean to!" squeaked Katherine, and she began to cry. "It was never meant for Maleficent, I didn't want to hurt her! I didn't want to hurt anyone! I made the spell for Lydia! She was insane, and I wanted to take away her memories and make her young again so we would have a-another ch-chance at being close again! So she wouldn't be so - so mean! I-I used the spell on myself to try it out, but I m-made a potion so I wouldn't f-forget everything! And I can't reverse the spell!"

Diaval was stunned into silence. Katherine had made the spell. And she could not reverse it.

"There, there," Robin said, flying over to her and rubbing her shaking shoulder with his small hand. "Diaval brought back the Healing Azar, we can help Maleficent now."

Katherine nodded, sniffling and gasping as she fought to regain control of herself. "O-of course. I-I'm sorry," she said. She stood up and fetched the flowers Diaval had brought. "Five flowers?"

"I was asked to bring back an extra and plant it in the Moors, but I'll explain that later," Diaval said stiffly.

Nodding, Katherine set the spare flower aside and said, "A-alright, then. I-I need water and a c-cauldron. I suppose I can maybe make the cauldron myself if someone will get me a r-rock."

The Tree Warriors nodded and set off. Balthazar, a close friend of Maleficent's, returned in a minute carrying a large rock. Katherine hopped out of the tree and stood in front of it. She concentrated, squeezing her eyes shut until a trickle of sweat dripped down her forehead. A moment later, the rock groaned, and began to shift into the shape of a bowl with high sides. It quickly became what Diaval assumed to be a cauldron.

Katherine sighed once she had finished the spell. "I'm sorry, but I need wood, for a fire," she said guiltily. Balthazar didn't look pleased.

"Use the fifth flower," Diaval suggested. "We can just plant it beneath the cauldron and set it on fire. It won't die once it burns out, right?"

"It should be fine, unless we take it out of the ground," said Katherine. "That's a good idea."

Robin brought Katherine the flower, and helped to plant it in the ground a little way from the Rowan Tree. Katherine pushed the cauldron over. She had to make the legs on the bottom a little longer so it would stand over the Healing Azar without crushing it. The other Tree Warrior - Birchalin - returned with the water, which was poured into the cauldron. Katherine muttered a spell, and the Healing Azar caught on fire.

It was a beautiful sight. The Healing Azar's petals fell open. They were long, their length exaggerated by the flames trailing off them. They swayed in the night breeze, and if one didn't look too closely, all they would see would be a bright, flickering fire. On closer inspection, they would notice the Healing Azar, its center glowing gold.

"Robin, bring me a leaf from the Rowan Tree. I'm sorry, but take it right off the branch," Katherine instructed. Robin obliged. "Thank you. Diaval, would you mind donating a feather?"

"Of course not," said Diaval. He turned into a raven, and pulled a black feather from his wing. It hurt for a moment, but it was worth it. He brought it to Katherine, then went back to Maleficent's side, once more a man.

"And I need a feather from Maleficent's wings, I'm afraid," Katherine said, looking down. Diaval frowned. He looked over Maleficent to see if she had any loose feathers he could take without hurting her too much more. A long, glossy brown feather on the inside of her wings was beginning to loosen, so Diaval gently coaxed that out of it's place. He handed it to Robin, and began to stroke Maleficent's wings, hoping to soothe her some.

"D-Diav…" Maleficent trailed off, gasping slightly. Her fists clenched and unclenched. "H-help. It - h-hurts."

"We're trying," Diaval murmured to her, smoothing her hair back. He noticed her dress, which had been much too large on her that morning, was now stretched tight. He suddenly worried that if Maleficent grew anymore, she wouldn't be able to breathe.

"Hurry!" he urged Katherine. She nodded.

Katherine used a sharp rock to cut off the stems of the Healing Azar. "I only need the actual flowers," she explained. She held the flowers above the water and said an incantation. The flowers levitated about her hand and caught on fire. She added, "_Sanitas quippe Azar, converterent alica dano mei_. _Subsisto effectus carmine_." The flowers dropped in the cauldron.

There was a hiss as the flaming flowers fell in the water. The fire wasn't immediately extinguished, as one would have guessed. The flames and petals spread out in the water, stretching toward one another, turning the liquid orange and gold. Katherine took the leaf and feathers and said, "_Home, familiae, mox et stridentia, exhortatur. Finem Maleficent's afflictio_."

Katherine released the items in her hands. The potion sparked, then gradually the orange faded. A gold liquid was left simmering in the cauldron.

"Bring me another rock," Katherine said, sounding relieved. "The potion is done."

Balthazar handed her a rock, which she used her magic to turn into a cup. She dipped it in the potion, then headed over to the tree.

She handed the cup to Diaval, then climbed in the tree. "Hold her, she'll squirm," said Katherine.

Diaval positioned Maleficent's head in his lap, feeling nervous. He tensed, then cried, "Wait!"

"What?"

"What if it doesn't work? What if it makes her worse?" Diaval said. "No offense, but I - "

"You don't fully trust me," Katherine finished. "But you have to. I might not be the most powerful sorceress, but I'm an excellent potion maker. And I'm on Maleficent's side, I'm not trying to harm her. I promise."

Diaval nodded, not entirely convinced that Katherine's potion could cure Maleficent. After all, Katherine wasn't even able to reverse the spell she had placed on herself. She was timid and nervous, except for when she was making the potion. She seemed to find strength, or at least, be able to push aside her own emotions when someone else needed her help.

Katherine opened Maleficent's mouth slightly, and gently began to tip the contents of the cup between her lips. At first, Maleficent didn't move. Then she began to writhe a bit in Diaval's lap, her wings giving feeble flaps of protest as she tried to spit the potion out. Katherine shut her mouth and covered it. She and Diaval both cringed in pity for Maleficent. When she was forced to swallow that mouthful, Katherine gave her another.

"Ro-bin!" Maleficent coughed around the potion. "Diaval!"

"Two more mouthfuls and it'll be over," said Katherine.

"Maleficent, calm down, it's alright, it's alright," Diaval said, trying to keep the faerie still as Katherine continued to force the potion into her mouth. "Halfway done, and then you'll be fine, I promise. Calm down."

One mouthful to go. Maleficent was yelling and flailing, her green eyes open but not registering anyone in front of her. "It's almost over lass, you can do it, just finish drinking the potion!" encouraged Robin. Katherine turned Maleficent's face toward her and put the cup to her lips. Maleficent fought, until the potion went down her throat, and she went limp. Her eyes fell shut.

"Is she alright?" Diaval asked in a hushed voice, taken aback by Maleficent's change in manner.

"I - I think so…."

"You _think _so?"

"Well, uh, we won't know until she wakes up…"

The golden aura that had been covering Maleficent started to dim. Diaval held his breath, searching Maleficent's face for any signs of pain or relief. He noted that she now looked like she was twelve, or perhaps even thirteen. Finally, the gold light faded away completely. Maleficent did not move.

Then, she took a deep breath and quietly asked, "Robin?"

...

Greetings, Malefifreaks. :) Hope you liked this chapter!

Have you guys seen the deleted scenes for Maleficent? They were great, except I wished we had more of, you know, MALEFICENT in the scenes. I need more of Angelina as Maleficent! So I can't wait to find out if the rumors of her playing Maleficent in Kingdom Heats 3 are true. I don't actually play that, but still. I do play Disney Infinity, and I'm excited for Maleficent's figure to be released to Disney Infinity 2.0.

Please review! Constructive criticism and randoms jokes welcome!

Thanks for reading!

Kitty


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